Pausing The Flow
by EXNativo
Summary: Beast Boy failed. The Brotherhood won. The Titans all perished, except for one. Now alone in the world, Beast Boy receives an offer from an unlikely source, giving him a chance to right all the wrongs that have occurred. [[[Free to good home, I no longer care enough about Teen Titans to write for it.]]]
1. Prologue

Alright, I feel like absolute shit. Sorry for being dead for a while.

So, the poll I had up on my profile ended up a three way tie, which is pretty impressive seeing as it had three options. So in the end I messaged a friend I have on FF (they wanted to remain anonymous, don't ask me why), and they chose this story for me to start.

Which is awesome, because this was the one I wanted to do originally.

Also, it has come to my attention that I leave a massive amount of A/Ns on basically every new chapter. I'm sorry about that, and I'll try to cut back on them.

So, without further ado, I present to you...

'Drumroll.'

**Pausing The Flow!**

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans is the property of DC, I think. Not like I research this shit.**

**XxX**

_Prologue_

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

He'd had countless plans, numerous strategies! Idea after idea, all orbiting the original problem that had cast a shadow over his life ever since he had met and joined the Doom Patrol! One that he was probably destined to face, ever since his parents went over that waterfall.

It wouldn't have been easy. No, nothing was ever easy these days. He knew that, everyone did. Sure, he wasn't renowned for his intelligence... or quick thinking... or thinking. But he still had a job to do. An obligation as a superhero. And he took those kinds of things seriously.

He had to. Because if he didn't, he wouldn't live to see tomorrow.

So _why_, after all the thinking, the planning, the carefully thought out counter-attacking, had it ended like _this_?

He'd had a team assembled. A rag-tag group of survivors, who had been seconds from walking away, and never looking back. Sure. He acknowledged that. He hadn't been much better at that point. He'd been caught in his own exploding chunk of the T-Ship, after all.

Soon enough, complications had arisen, as they were expected to. Ranging from that fact that Mas was more or less useless without his brother, to the fact that none of them actually knew what the fuck it was that Jericho could actually do. Panther was more manly than the other four put together, and Herald's weapon made him about look as though he were waiting for the bus to band-camp, rather than about to engage in an all out brawl between the forces of good and evil. Even so, there was no doubt left in any of their minds at that point.

They were the Teen Titans now.

The world was depending on them.

And they failed.

Their plan was simple. Storm the Brotherhood of Evil's base, take them by surprise, and free their friends. Maybe along the way, they would defeat any villain they came across, thus making their inevitable escape all the easier.

The first part had gone off without a hitch. Cinderblock, being about as graceful as a drunken rhinoceros, had easily fallen in battle against the teenage team. His memories had allowed them access to the hidden base of Beast Boy's greatest enemies, the place where their friends were being held captive, never to see the sunlight again.

All according to plan.

They had managed to sneak their way in, using the front door no less. Four of them posing as unconscious victims, the fifth safely hidden away, slowly guiding them towards what would be the greatest fight of their young lives.

All according to plan.

They had come across a small squad of guards, consisting of enemies that at least one of them had taken on at some point in time.

Not exactly according to plan, but a little detour never hurt anyone.

Defeating them with ease, the group of heroic children continued on their path, albeit no longer having anything to guide them. It seemed as though Mas' connection with Menos had been severed. Hopefully nothing bad had happened to the small Hispanic boy.

Well, nothing WORSE.

Hurrying along, the small group of improvised freedom fighters surged forward, wasting no time in both locating, and slamming their way right through to the heart of the base; the current location of the Brotherhood of Evil.

This was it.

It was all or nothing.

All according to plan.

Unfortunately for the heroes, it was also the exact moment that everything turned to shit.

The very second those massive doors were forced from their hinges, an explosion big enough to knock an entire building out of the ground was set off, right above their heads. Thankfully, Herald's quick thinking, and even quicker reflexes, allowed him to pull his horn from his belt. Throwing his head back to face the incoming shrapnel and debris, he blew for all he was worth, ripping a small hole in the space between his temporary team and the landslide of pain that was hauling ass right down towards them.

Effectively shielding his team, Herald had raised his horn again, this time aiming towards the massive crowd of evil-doers that had been situated in the center of the spacious room. With the amount of explosive force that had been behind that bomb, there was sure to be a lot of destruction. Maybe enough to turn the tables on the villainous organization.

Hopefully it wouldn't kill them.

Too bad he never got the chance to test the that theory.

Before he could let out his stored up breath, something that looked suspiciously like a small dagger was whistling through the air, cutting through the skin on his arm as though it were paper. Herald had hissed in pain, rotating his arm up as quickly as he could to avoid further injury.

None of them had realised how big a mistake he'd just made.

While definitely not a musical note, the small hiss of pain that Herald had emitted was easily picked up by the wondrous instrument that was still currently being held up to his mouth. Without a moments hesitation, the faithful trumpet emitted a small, pathetic squeak, opening up a hole in space, allowing the massive landslide of recently destroyed evil-villain-base to topple out of whatever pocket dimension it had been stored in.

Right on top of the captured and frozen Titans in the back of the room.

Almost comically, everybody in the room -hero and villain alike- had whipped their heads around in unison, just in time to watch as the giant tidal wave of ruined construction crashed down on top of their friends/captives.

They could hear more than one statue shattering.

Every single eye in the underground hide-out had simultaneously widened, before shouts of glee erupted from the jubilant crowd in the middle of the room, completely drowning out the cries of despair from four individuals.

Half of the entire Titan network had been wiped out. In a single, unintentional blow. And from a comrade, no less.

All according to plan.

Without warning, The Brain's metallic voice had cut right through the celebratory shouts of the many present baddies, ceasing them almost immediately. He was calling for one thing, the only thing he had ever desired after the incident that robbed him of his body.

He wanted the world in his hands...uh, jar. And he wanted all resistance crushed.

Time passed in a blur for all. In amongst the flurry of fists, weapons and various projectiles, every single combatant in the room knew what was happening.

This was no longer an organised assault against a tyrant and his lackeys.

This was desperate skirmish for survival.

One that the heroes were losing badly.

After a while, reinforcements had showed up, more than ready to turn the tables on the heinous quartet and their numerous henchmen. The battle began anew, the field being whittled down steadily on both sides.

It wouldn't change anything, though. The Brain always had his plans.

Both sides were hurting. With the loss of every captured Titan, along with every injury that had been inflicted upon them in the clash, the Titans knew that the battle would have to be ended soon, if they were to have a chance of winning.

The same could be said for the villains, with many of their unconscious bodies littering the battle-field. Those who were still standing were all sporting various bruises and cuts, if not limping from opponent to opponent.

Luckily for them, they had home field advantage.

Beast Boy had been charging from the last enemy he had just defeated, when something large and solid had collided with his side. Sent careening through the air, he had slammed into the harsh, unforgiving concrete that made up the walls.

Too bad he had been the fortunate one.

As Beast Boy had enjoyed his brief flight, the rest of the still-alive Titans had all been locked in their own combat. They ducked, weaved, punched, kicked and bit, doing all in their power to emerge victorious.

None of them had realised that they were all being shepherded, towards the middle of the giant room in which the massive conflict was currently being fought in.

With an almighty unanimous shove, every single hero had found themselves in a massive pile of each other's bodies, sprawled along the floor and all over one-another. As they struggled to leap back to their feet, they failed to realise that all of their opponents had already left, sprinting as far away from the middle of the room as their tired bodies could manage.

What they didn't fail to see, however, was the floor beneath them give way, milliseconds before an enormous explosion ripped the area around them to pieces.

All according to the Brotherhood's plan.

As the dust had settled, a single green figure against the wall let out a low groan, before planting both of his hands on the ground. Struggling to his feet, Beast Boy coughed lightly, shaking away the small amount of rubble which had taken up refuge in his hair.

He'd heard the explosion.

He'd felt the shock-wave.

And now, he could smell the burning flesh.

Slowly, Beast Boy looked up, his eyes hesitantly scanning the expansive room.

The fighting had stopped. '_Did we win?'_

The smell was getting worse. _'What was that?'_

The villains were all silent. None were talking, some were hardly daring to breathe. Even from all the way across the room, Beast Boy could see that all their eyes were on the dead center of the room.

The only place that Beast Boy hadn't yet surveyed.

Silently gulping, Beast Boy had shifted his gaze, following every else's wide eyed stares. Some of the villains were already breaking out of their trances. All that had seemed to be either cheering or laughing joyfully.

Beast Boy could feel his own eyes widen as he took in the scene before him. Blood, limbs, organs. All having been thrown haphazardly across the room by the devastating explosion.

A sudden shout had invaded his ears, cutting Beast Boy's concentration on the gnarled remains. Apparently, some of the villains had realised that he was still breathing.

They had intended to correct that.

Seeing the enemy forces begin charging right towards him, Beast Boy spared another quick glance around the room, before doing the only thing he could.

He transformed.

And he ran.

**XxX**

_'Stupid stupid stupid stupid!'_

Beast Boy couldn't tell how long he had been running. It could have been a minute, or an hour. The world was passing as a blur to the green cheetah's eyes, as his feet pounded against the ground underneath him.

He didn't know where he was going.

He just needed to go. To move.

To stay alive.

_'Brain was right. Raven was right. Everyone was right!' _The green cat berated himself yet again, slamming briefly into a wall as he took a sharp right turn. _'Why did I ever think I could lead a team? Why did I ever think it would be a good idea to put me in charge?! I failed them all, and now they're gone! I can't do anything right!'_

Beast Boy took another sharp turn, barreling into yet another corridor. _'This place is a damn maze!' _He thought to himself, sneaking a quick glance over his shoulder. There was nobody behind him. It seemed as though all who had decided to pursue him had either given up or fallen behind.

Good.

Satisfied for the moment, Beast Boy turned back, almost running headfirst into yet another wall. Digging his claws into the concrete floor as best he could, he sprang to the left, shooting down into another almost abandoned hallway like a bullet.

Wait, almost abandoned?

Up ahead of him, Beast Boy could make out what looked to be a massive spider with four legs, along with something that resembled a walking brick. A massive walking brick.

Bad.

Thankfully for the green changeling, the two were facing the other way, allowing Beast Boy time to halt his advance. Digging his claws into the ground, Beast Boy tensed his muscles as hard as he could, applying as much pressure as he dared to his front paws. Gritting his teeth against the pain that his technique had just caused him, Beast Boy slid to a stop, a mere ten meters behind the villainous duo.

Good.

"Hey, moron." The spider like figure commented in a whiny, little girl voice, turning to look down upon his companion."Did you just hear somethin'?"

"The name's Mammoth, you midget." The telephone box answered gruffly, before stopping completely. "And now that you mention it, I did."

Together, the pair started to slowly turn around, almost as if they were trying to create an obvious air of tension.

Bad.

Sparing a quick glance to his side, Beast Boy almost cheered when he saw a door, camouflaged in against the wall. Not wasting any time, the green cheetah began to shrink, wings and another pair of legs sprouting out of it's body. It's fur disappeared into thin air, whilst it's eyes grew and compounded. It's mouth began shrinking, it's teeth sinking back into it's gums. Within the blink of an eye, a green fly was standing where the deadly feline had been, barely a second prior.

Good.

Beast Boy dived for the door, squirming his way underneath and out the other side. Behind him, he could still hear Gizmo and Mammoth, slowly making their way down the corridor.

"You see that?" Gizmo inquired, his high voice directly behind the door.

"No." Mammoth replied curtly, his footsteps passing the door completely. "Let's keep moving. We gotta find him."

"What's got you so blunt today?" Gizmo whined, the various gears of his machinery creaking as his robotic legs carried him down the hallway, following after his partner.

"You kiddin'?" Mammoth asked. Judging from his voice, Beast Boy would have guessed that Mammoth had already turned the corner that he had come from. "Madame Rude! That lady is scary!"

"You mean 'Rouge', dumbass?"

"Yeah, whatever. Shut up and search."

From behind the door, Beast Boy heard the sound of retreating footsteps. Waiting for them to disappear completely, he buzzed back to the ground, only morphing back when he was sure they'd left. Collapsing against the wall, Beast Boy put a hand to his heart, willing it to calm down.

The last thing he needed to do now was lose control.

Satisfied that his blood pressure had returned to normal, Beast Boy's hand left his chest, coming to rest on the top of his head. Leaning his back against the wall, he felt his legs give out underneath him, causing him to slowly slide down to the ground. The pain from slamming against the wall was still there, if not made stronger by his desperate escape. It felt as though Monsieur Mallah had used his back as a trampoline.

What he wouldn't give for some of Raven's healing power right n-

...Raven.

Beast Boy felt his entire body go limp, the hand that had been inhabiting his hair falling mutely to the ground.

How could he have forgotten? He was alone now! No Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven! Along with every other member of the Titans! All of his friends, taken out within minutes of one another.

Something wet fell from Beast Boy's face, splashing down silently on top of his fingers. Beast Boy instinctively swiped a hand across his cheek, giving it a slightly confused look as he drew it back to examine it.

Water. There was water on his hand.

Curious, Beast Boy rubbed his cheek with his other hand, getting the same results as he had seconds ago. Staring dumbly down at his own hands, Beast Boy struggled for a second, trying to think through the turmoil that his mind was in.

...Crying! That's it, he was crying.

Beast Boy could feel his eyes widen, before his face contorted in disgust. Jumping to his feet, Beast Boy brought both of his sleeves to his face, furiously wiping the tears away.

How dare he cry? After he had gotten his friends killed? He didn't get the right to cry! Why should he? They never would again...

Beast Boy could feel more tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, though he refused to let them fall. He would mourn later. After he had gotten backup, and completely destroyed the Brotherhood of Evil.

Yeah, that sounded like a good idea at the moment.

Smirking viciously, Beast Boy reached out for the door handle. Before he could grab it, however, an aged voice sounded from further in to the semi-dark room.

"Impressive, boy. I expected to find you in a puddle of tears."

Beast Boy whirled around, his body instinctively lowering closer to the ground. There, leaning against one of the many crates that decorated the room, was a villain that Beast Boy hadn't seen in a while.

"What are you doing here?" Beast Boy hissed, his eyes never leaving the golden clad figure before him. Warp merely uncrossed his arms, regarding Beast Boy with what appeared to be a bored expression.

"Relax, child." Warp said dismissively, taking a seat on top of a smaller crate, closer to the center of the room. "I didn't come here to battle you, I came here to help you. Besides, what do you mean, 'What am I doing here?'. What are you doing here?"

"Don't change the subject, Old Man." Beast Boy growled, though he straightened up never-the-less. Biting back a sigh of relief, Beast Boy stretched his back, wincing slightly as it cracked.

"You're injured." It wasn't a question so much as a statement.

"None of your business." Beast Boy muttered, slouching back against the wall. "Now I want to know why you're not attacking me."

Warp rolled his eyes, before fixing Beast Boy with a cold glare. "Don't get ahead of yourself, child. I offer you my assistance purely because it benefits me greatly."

"How so?"

Warp snorted impolitely. "I doubt you would understand even if I told you."

Beast Boy was beginning to lose his patience. Not that he had had much at the start of the conversation. "Try me."

Warp bit out a scathing laugh, his mouth twisting into a condescending smirk. "Alright, have it your way. What do you know about time-travel?"

"Not much." Beast Boy shrugged. "I've never really been interested."

"In that case, I'll make this as simple as possible." Warp stated, reaching into his armour. Beast Boy could feel his muscles tensing, though he managed to calm down when Warp withdrew nothing other than his own empty hand.

"Must have left it at home...oh well." He muttered to himself, before turning around to face Beast Boy. "Alright, what about the flow of time?"

"You mean minutes and seconds?" Beast Boy inquired. At Warp's encouraging nod, Beast Boy simply added in, "nothing."

Warp let his shoulders sink in a crestfallen way, before he raised his head again. "No matter. Alright, the first thing you need to know is that the flow of time, or the 'time stream', is very much alive. It works constantly, making sure that all imperfections of the past are dealt with, in order to keep the universe stable."

"OK."

"Whenever the past is tampered with, the future must also be altered in order to fit into the new context that has been laid out. Thus, every time I use my equipment, I must be careful not to do anything that would result in a major change. Otherwise, my entire existance could be wiped out in a second."

"Oooookay."

"Now is the important part, boy. When I went back in time in order to steal that clock, I failed. Correct?"

"Yeah, 'cos Star managed to-"

"Irrelevant." Warp interrupted, holding up a hand to silence the changeling. "Now, as I was saying. Think about this, boy. Where is that clock now?"

"Far as I know, it's exactly where you found it."

"Precisely!" Warp said sharply, snapping his fingers. "It is exactly where it was left. Now, answer me this. Why would I go back in time to a few months before now, in order to steal a clock that was destined to be taken, when I knew I would be met with resistance?"

"Uhhh..." Beast Boy mumbled, scratching his head. "Can you make the question...simpler?"

Warp groaned, slapping one hand to his forehead and dragging it down. "Alright. Let's put it this way. Why would I go back in time to a few months ago when there was a chance that I would be stopped, when I could have just taken it right after today?"

Beast Boy thought for a second, his hand rubbing back and forth across his chin. "Hmm...is it because you're a masochist?"

Warp coughed violently, almost falling off of his crate in the process. "Wha- no you fool! It's because I didn't know that today was going to happen!"

"Well, neither did I." Beast Boy supplied, his eyes slightly downcast.

"Yes, but which of us is the time traveler here?"

Beast Boy seemed to put some serious thought into his answer, as if he were afraid he would get it wrong.

"You?"

"Precisely. And that I why I am willing to help you, in order to help myself."

"So wait..." Beast Boy began, finally finding something he understood about the conversation. "You're sayin' that-"

"That no-one should have died today, and as such something as large as losing the entire Titan network could quite possibly change absolutely everything, even bringing an end to my existence? Yes, I am."

"Dude..." Beast Boy muttered, watching as Warp climbed down from the crate and tapped something on his chest. A strange portal, identical to the one that Starfire had once disappeared through, opened up in front of the aged thief, who proceeded to examine it.

"Yes...good...that's off by a few seconds..." Warp mumbled to himself, tapping a few buttons on his arm. Apparently satisfied, he nodded once, before looking back towards the stunned green changeling beside the door.

"This portal will send you back to a time where you shall be safe from the time stream. Sometime earlier than the forming of the Titans, I'm afraid. But it's the best I can do."

Beast Boy snapped out of his trance, nodding dumbly and stepping towards the portal. Right before he was about to step through, however, he froze, turning to face the older man beside him.

"You're sure this thing is safe?" He inquired, willing his voice not to squeak.

Warp nodded, before looking down at his arm. "The nature of the time stream is that anything that does not belong will be terminated. Therefore, going back in time would normally result in instant death. However, with my technology you will be protected."

Beast Boy nodded, until another thought struck him. "What about the me who's in the past?"

Warp looked away briefly, before locking eyes with the shape-shifter. There was a hint of some kind of emotion in his eyes, something that Beast Boy could not identify. It looked like...remorse?

"I'm afraid that the time stream will still destroy something. Given that there is no need for more than one of a person to exist at any one time, one of you will disappear. And because of the protection my equipment provides, you shall be taking the place of your past self."

To Warp's surprise, Beast Boy merely nodded, before stepping into the portal. He continued moving forward, until Warp called back to him.

"Remember, boy. Make sure you remember the Titan's achievements. You will have to make sure they are replicated if you are to succeed in saving everyone." He refrained from using the term 'me'.

Beast Boy stuck his head back through the portal, silently giggling at the look of shock on the older thief's face.

"Dude, this is weird." Beast Boy commented to himself, before raising his voice, along with his head, in order to speak to Warp.

"I will, thanks."

"Don't bother thanking me, child." Warp said, planting a hand on Beast Boy's face and pushing him backwards and out of sight. Right before the portal closed behind him completely, Warp bent over, positioning his mouth right before the tiny opening that was still left over.

"Make sure you don't screw up!" He called in, only to be met with silence. Sighing lightly, Warp straightened up, before casting a long glance around the room.

"Good luck, child." He muttered to himself, before opening another portal. Stepping through, he could still be heard muttering, all the way until the portal closed behind him completely.

"Please don't screw up, please don't screw up, please don't-"

**XxX**

Beast Boy slowly opened his eyes, blearily blinking the sleep away. Craning his neck, he did his best to take in his surroundings. After all, he hadn't remembered falling asleep.

He was in a room. A room with concrete walls, a soft bed, and toys spread out across the ground.

He was in his room. His old room.

He'd made it to the past. Though, this was what his room had looked like when he was twelve...

A loud knock, courtesy of whoever was now standing behind the door, tore the air apart, immediately snapping Beast Boy out of his thoughts. He quickly sat up, a task made rather difficult by the dull throbbing pain that still lingered in his back. Brushing aside a small bit of rubble, which had been dislodged from his hair by his sudden movement, Beast Boy put on the brightest smile he could manage.

"Come in!" He called, almost wincing at the sound of his own voice. It was almost...strained.

"Garfield?" The person, who Beast Boy could now identify as female, called back. The door began to swing open, just as Beast Boy had thrown the covers off of himself, standing up in the process.

Standing in the doorway was the one person in the world that Beast Boy could have honestly said he was close to, before the Titans, that is.

Though technically, this was before the Titans...oh well.

Beast Boy turned, with his brilliant smile, ready to greet his surrogate mother good morning. He paused, however, when he caught the look on her face.

"Garfield?" Elasti-Girl asked hesitantly, "what happened to you?"

Confused, Beast Boy looked at his mother with a raised eyebrow, before throwing a glance at the mirror that hung from the closet door, near the corner of the room.

He could immediately see the problem.

The top of his head was still coated in a fine layer of rubble, occasional flecks of dirt falling away, only to mix with some of the blood that was running, up until this point unnoticed, down both sides of his face. His lip was cut and badly bruised, and he had a thin cut, which was slowly oozing out blood, running from his temple, all the way down to his neck.

How hadn't he noticed them before?

Turning back to Elasti-Girl, Beast Boy yelped, almost falling back in surprise at his surrogate mother's sudden close proximate. Elasti-Girl slowly reached a hand out, grabbing a hold of Beast Boy's cheek. Rotating his head around, she examined one of the wounds near his hairline, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Garfield..." Rita mumbled, releasing the green boy from her grasp. "What happened to you, and why do you look...older?"

Beast Boy froze, his mind lighting up with enough swear words to make a sailor drunkenly cheer. He had completely forgotten that he would have to explain what had happened to the Doom Patrol. After all, as inept as Mento was at anything besides his basic goals, even he would notice the youngest member of his team suddenly growing a couple of years older, overnight no less.

"Uh...surprise?" Beast Boy tried weakly, averting his eyes from his teammates unnerving stare. There was no screaming, no crying, no ordering people around. Beast Boy had to admit, Elasti-Girl was taking this incredibly well.

...Or, she was, until she nodded, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, and collapsed, on her face, on the ground beside Beast Boy's bed.

Beast Boy winced as Elasti-Girl's head made contact with the concrete floor of his room, before quickly swooping down to see if she was OK. Picking up her prone form – she wasn't as heavy as Beast Boy thought she was, though he would never, EVER say that to her face - he carefully lay her down on his bed, sighing in relief as she took a deep breath.

As least she wasn't dead.

Not like everyone el-

Beast Boy shook himself, doing his best to clear that thought from his head. _'Stop it!' _He scolded himself, turning from the unconscious form of Elasti-Girl to glance at the mirror again. _'They're not dead, not right now. I've been given a chance to make things right, and I'm going to do it!'_

Ignoring the fact that he was making a vow in his own head, much like some of the less-sane people in the world would have, Beast Boy dramatically raised one arm to the sky, almost gagging as the stench that had originated from his armpit hit his nose, finally being released to the world. Throwing another look at the mirror, Beast Boy made a quick decision, before going to search through the drawer on the opposite side of the room.

He could talk to the Doom Patrol later.

Right now, he really needed a shower.

**XxX**

And so, the prologue/first chapter of my new fic is born. Yes, the gimmick this time is time travel. Not something that I see in many Teen Titan fanfics, though the conventional 'Beast Boy gets kicked off the team, then gets powerful, then comes back years later' idea is overused, and I'll be honest, tarnished slightly with some of the poorer excuses for literature out there. I've seen and read a few good ones, but unfortunately the key word in that sentence is 'few'.

There's not really much else to say, other than I've been sick for the last week, which is the _only _reason that I have managed to get this new fic out to the people. Now, what I'm about to tell you will no doubt piss people off, but I've built up a reputation of not really giving a damn, so I'll get over it.

Don't expect an update any sooner than a few months away. The reason for this is I am giving myself some time to write, so that when I update, I actually have a schedule. None of this 'update every other month' bullshit that up until this point has been my plan. That's just annoying for everyone. Especially me. Seriously, I have to listen to everyone's bitching. It's not fun if it's aimed at you, after all.

Alright, I've said all that is necessary for now. I'll see you all in a few months or so with the next chapter! So, until then...

Peace!

_**X**_


	2. Chapter 1 - Shooting Star

'Sup, bitches?

Yeah, this update happened a lot faster than I honestly thought it would. I'll put all that into the bottom A/N, because now I need to answer a question. But before I do, I'm gonna do a little bit of a rant.

Now, reviews are incredible. I love the things. Can't get enough of them. Also, asking questions within a review is fine. I'm happy to answer any questions, if the answer doesn't give away the plot. But please. If you're gonna ask a question, make sure you're logged into an account so that I can PM the answer to you. I don't want to have to put the answer within the actual story, because that will get very annoying, very quickly.

Now, like I said, asking questions is fine. But I will not answer any questions someone asks if they are not logged into an account. Sounds unfair? Too bad. Life's unfair, deal with it.

So, Mr or Mrs Guest, you're lucky. I'll make an exception this time, simply because you asked before the rule was implemented.

I'll only answer your first question, as the other two would require me giving away some of the plot.

As far as I see it, the original series took place over the course of several months, or maybe up to a year. This is my guess, purely because there is only ever one birthday mentioned, and the character design never changes in any way which would imply that the Titans have hit growth spurts. Nor do their voices change.

Now, given the facts, I can estimate that the Titans were together from anywhere between 5 to 10 months. Any longer would be illogical, as Beast Boy mentions after they save Robot Man that the Doom Patrol had been gone for 5 months. Now, he could have heard that anywhere, but given that it is implied that Beast Boy knew of their mission, and the fact that he is never seen interacting with the Doom Patrol before those episodes in any way, he must have been given information prior to leaving his old team. It would not make sense for them to plan attacks any further into the future than around 5 months, as the Brotherhood would be able to change their plans with ease given any more time. As such, I get to my estimate.

Now, with the issue of ages. We know that Raven is 15 at the start of the series, as she had her 16th birthday at the end of the 4th season. Assuming that both Robin and Starfire are 16, and Cyborg is older, we must now deduce Beast Boy's age.

Greg Cipes, the man who does the voice acting for Beast Boy, has mentioned in interviews that the green superhero is 14 years of age at the end of the series. As such, that would make his birthday either before the pilot episode, or after the series finale. Factoring in Warp sending him back in time to a bit more than a year before the Titans were first formed, we can assume that at least 13 months have passed since the Brotherhood incident. That would mean that Beast Boy, being anywhere between 14 years 1 month to 14 years 11 months old, would end up being 15 by the beginning of this chapter.

So, all in all, the ages for the Titans in this fic will be:

Robin: 16

Starfire: 16

Cyborg: 18

Raven: 15 turns 16

Beast Boy: 15 turns 16

And there is your answer. Can you see why I don't want to do this again? 'Cos if you can't then I don't even want you to review. Seriously, go back to school.

Alright, that's over and done with. So now, on with the show!  
**  
Disclaimer: Wish I owned time travel, then I could go back and create Teen Titans. Then they would be mine. ALL** **MINE!**

**XxX**

_Chapter one - Shooting Star_

"Come on, Garfield! I know you can move faster than that!"

Beast Boy ducked swiftly beneath yet another erratically thrown punch, before quickly darting forward to deliver one of his own.

"I could say the same thing about you, Cliff!" Beast Boy countered, grinning as his fist came into contact with the intelligent robot's metallic torso. Robot Man winced slightly, his eyes quickly darting towards the wall beside him.

Just as he feared, he'd lost yet another point.

"Wanna quit?" Beast Boy asked, smirking as Robot Man whipped his head back around to glare at him, "or you just wanna lose again?"

"Like hell, short stuff!" Robot Man yelled, cracking his large, prosthetic knuckles. "I was just getting started!"

"Give it up, Cliff."

"You too?" Robot Man asked in disbelief, spinning around to stare at the one who had spoken. Negative Man merely stared back, his expression unreadable beneath the bandages that adorned his face.

"Yes." Negative Man said simply, crossing his arms over the black and white umpire outfit that he had been forced to wear. "You have half as many points as Gar has, it's pointless to continue."

"Are you kiddin'?" Robot Man howled, throwing his arms up into the air. "I can easily beat his little green as-"

"Hey! I'm not the one who's been losing every single game!"

"In your dreams, shorty! I've been letting you win!"

"You've been letting me win a lot lately, Cliff. Maybe you're too kind?"

Negative Man brought a single hand to his face, the resulting slap breaking the two superheroes out of their argument.

"Why am I even here?" He asked, speaking through his fingers, glaring at the childish duo in front of him through the bandages wrapped around his head as he did so.

"Uh, because this game was your idea?" Beast Boy replied, throwing his arms out, gesturing towards the specially built room that they were currently situated in.

Negative Man groaned, before pushing a button on the wall beside him. On the other side of the room, a large television screen lit up, a 3D diagram of both Beast Boy and Robot Man appearing. The pictures slowly started to rotate, at the exact same time as a giant flashing banner, labelled 'WINNER', plastered itself across the screen. The obnoxious obstacle obscured everything from view, except the now chibi version of Robot Man, which was crying pitifully in the corner.

The room had originally been one of Negative Man's ideas (cough sarcastic remarks cough), after Beast Boy had complained one too many times about how boring normal training was. Mento, after having to deal with the green child's complaints one too many times, had demanded someone think of a way to shut the boy up, or else they would all suffer through extra training. To this day, Negative Man would live to regret taking that exact moment in time to deliver one of his trademark derogatory statements.

"Why don't you just make it a game?"

Negative Man wasn't being serious. Mento knew that. Elasti-Girl knew that. Hell, even Robot Man knew that. And when he knew something, you could bet your life that it was about as obvious as day.

But alas, no. None of the adults had yet come to understand the depth of Beast Boy's naivety at that point, what with him unknowingly being the dumbass of the Titans for the better half of a year. So here Negative Man found himself, dressed in a ridiculous and stereotypical outfit, watching a scrawny green teenager manhandle a robot that weighed close to a tonne, much like a tornado would a leaf.

Beast Boy grinned, before offering his hand to the sulking android in front of him.

"Come on, Cliff. You know today is the day I leave."

Robot Man looked up, before his face contorted into the best grin he could manage. It actually looked rather terrifying.

"Yeah, yeah. You beat me. Just like every other time we've ever played." Robot Man chuckled, before taking Beast Boy's hand, allowing the teen to pull him into a hug.

"I'll miss you, dude." Beast Boy admitted, patting the iron giant on the shoulder. "Thanks for helping me this past year. I wish I could repay you guys."

"Hey." Robot Man said, pulling back and kneeling down, so he could look the boy in the eyes. "The Doom Patrol always takes care of its own. According to you, you were the one that taught Mento the importance of that in your other future. Of course we would help you."

"He's right." Negative Man added, patting Beast Boy on the back. "Besides, you've saved us on so many missions ever since then, you've done more than enough. Now," he added, sparing a glance at the clock that was being displayed on the T.V screen behind them, "shouldn't you be off, before your team is formed without you?"

"Huh?" Beast Boy mumbled, spinning around to check the time for himself. If he remembered correctly, Starfire had crashed down in Jump City some time just after eight. He'd arrived on the scene a mere five minutes later.

_2:13_

Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Shit!" He cursed, turning on his heel to sprint down the corridor. Behind him, Robot Man and Negative Man exchanged glances, before snorting and hurtling out of the door in hot pursuit.

**XxX**

Elasti-Girl sat alone at the table in the kitchen of the Doom Patrol head-quarters, sipping sadly on a cup of coffee. There were not many things that could get the former actress down, and whenever something did, she could always pretend as though she were fine. But there was always someone who would see right through her lies, lies that were thorough enough to fool even the mind reader that was her team's leader.

It wasn't as though she was unhappy that Beast Boy was scheduled to leave that day. After all, ever since she had heard the story of what had transpired in his future, the entire team had been expecting his departure. But even so, even though she had an exact date, she still felt the sadness invading her mind.

Nothing she had done could properly prepare her for it. After all, she was the boy's mother. Not by blood, sure. But that did nothing to dismiss the love that a mother naturally felt for her children. Elasti-Girl had listened to Beast Boy explain what had happened in the future, had seen the tears that had escaped his eyes when he was explaining what had happened to his friends. She had fought off the overwhelming urge to hold him as he cried, instead focusing all of her attention on his words.

She could still remember the way her heart had shattered when he had tearfully asked for their help.

Mento had agreed without question, which was somewhat surprising to the rest of the Doom Patrol. After an awkward hug, he had sent the young boy off with Robot Man, in order to begin training.

"I'm not allowing this to stand." Mento had announced to Elasti-Girl and Negative Man, once the other two were out of earshot. "You two, get ready. We're going to find the Brain now."

Elasti-Girl had been all for destroying the most evil things in the universe (eat your heart out Trigon), until something rather unexpected had happened.

"No."

Alarmed, Mento and Elasti-Girl had turned to Negative Man, who was sitting perfectly still.

"No?" Mento had repeated dangerously, narrowing his eyes at his apathetic teammate.

"No." Negative Man had confirmed, shifting his head to look at his irate leader.

Before Mento could throw a tantrum, Elasti-Girl had decided to step in.

"Why not, Larry?"

Ignoring Mento's venomous glare, which he was somehow managing to throw at both of them despite standing in between them, Negative Man had instead turned to the doorway, where Robot Man could still be seen, hugging what looked to be a crying Beast Boy.

"Look at him. He's a mess." Negative Man had said, gesturing towards the oblivious duo, "he loved his team. He was there when it was made. If we go off and destroy the Brotherhood of Evil now, then he'll have nothing left. According to him, he came back in order to save his friends. He wants revenge, Steve. It's not healthy, but it's the truth. That's what will keep him going. He wants to see his friends again. The best thing we can do for him is prepare him. Besides, what makes you think that we could take out the Brotherhood if you're obviously leaving those two in the dark? Every other time we've failed, and we had them with us."

Elasti-Girl had been stunned. The speech had been dark and had a general foreboding sense to it, but then again everything Negative Man ever said did. What threw her for a loop was how insightful it had seemed. Negative Man may have not been able to care less about much of the world around him, but he always seemed to be able to understand people, generally better than even herself.

Ever since that day she had begun preparing herself for whenever she would have to say goodbye.

Beast Boy toppled through the doorway of the kitchen, instantly snapping Ealsti-Girl out of her thoughts. Standing up, her knee slammed into the table, sending her coffee cup flying. It tore through the air towards the door, where it was caught by Negative Man, as he and Robot Man filed in after the green changeling.

Elasti-Girl grit her teeth, doing her best to ignore the pain in her already bruising knee. Accepting her cup back, she took a step back, watching as Beast Boy scrambled back to his feet, only to begin searching through various cabinets at great speed.

"Come on, where are they?" He asked nobody in particular, throwing random objects over his shoulder as he vigorously scanned the shelves. The three behind him all exchanged looks, before diving out the way as utensils began sailing through the air.

"Stop throwing stuff!" Robot Man demanded, his eye twitching as a spork buried itself between his eyebrows.

"Ah hah!" Beast Boy suddenly cried, hoisting a cardboard box above his head victoriously. "You say somethin', Cliff?"

Grumbling obscenities, Robot Man yanked the spork out his head, crushing it into a tiny ball between two of his fingers.

"What's going on here?" Mento demanded, walking in through the door. Catching sight of the ruined piece of cutlery in Robot Man's hands, Mento stopped walking completely, before throwing a deadly look towards the large mechanical man.

"That's coming out of your salary." Mento whispered dangerously, pointing an accusatory finger at the steel superhero.

"You get a salary?" Beast Boy inquired indignantly, setting the box down on the table in order to cross his arms. "Where's mine!?"

Ignoring the fact that Beast Boy had spoken at all, Mento turned to the shape-shifter, eyeing him with his usual cold stare.

"You should have already left."

"Ouch, Mento. You could at least pretend to be sad about seeing me go." Beast Boy sighed, dejectedly turning to pick up the box that he had recently unearthed, before an odd sound stopped him in his tracks.

Laughter.

_Mento's_ laughter.

Spinning around in unison with the Doom Patrol, Beast Boy stared at the normally irate leader, who was currently slumped across the table, laughing hysterically.

"Uh…" They all started simultaneously, only to pause when Mento somehow began laughing harder.

"Oh, you should... all see… the looks… on your faces!" Mento gasped out, pointing dramatically at Negative Man, who had a visible drop of sweat sliding down the back of his head.

Without warning, Beast Boy burst into laughter, hastily throwing the box back on to the table, lest he accidentally drop it and break one of the incredibly valuable, 'no doubt any jostling would utterly decimate them' goodies inside.

"Oh man, that was a good one dude!" Beast Boy giggled, raising his hand, which Mento subsequently high-fived. The rest of the Doom Patrol stood off to the side, silently shaking their heads in defeat.

Typical. After all the time they had spent alone in training, Mento and Beast Boy were bound to pick up a few of each other's habits.

Too bad they only got the annoying ones.

"That was a good laugh." Mento sighed, wiping a tear from his eye, before catching sight of the box. "What's in that?"

"Huh?" Beast Boy grunted, coughing lightly into one hand. "Oh, just something for the future."

Mento cautiously reached into the depth of the cardboard, slowly pulling out one of the many small, yellow objects that were currently residing within. "And why are you in possession of them?"

"Because, dude." Beast Boy said, plucking the circular object from Mento's hand, before tossing it back into the box. "This time I'm gonna be at least somewhat prepared."

"Fair enough." Mento shrugged, before sneaking a glance at the clock that was hanging on the wall. "I wasn't lying when I said you should have left already, though."

Beast Boy looked up at ticking contraption, barely noting the little hand had just passed the three. "Yeah, but I figure that seeing as this is where we'll be going our separate ways, you could maybe, oh I don't know, give me a lift?"

Mento stared down at Beast Boy for close to a full minute, apparently considering the question. He sighed dramatically, before gesturing towards the door with both hands.

"Come on, we'll take the jet."

Beast Boy's eyes lit up, as his hand punched the air. "Sweet! Can I drive?"

Mento ruffled Beast Boy's hair as the green teen bounded past, looking all the part of the loving father. "Ha ha ha, not on your life."

"What about on yours?"

"Maybe when I'm not quite so happy with my marriage."

Beast Boy and Mento both chuckled as they walked through the kitchen door, completely forgetting about the utterly confused members of the Doom Patrol, who were all standing stock still, staring at the door that the two males had just exited through.

"What just happened?" Elasti-Girl ventured cautiously, her eyes leaving the doorway to send a questioning glance towards the other two in the room.

"No idea." Negative Man replied, before making his way towards the door. "But I wouldn't put it past them to leave us behind, so let's go."

**XxX**

Robin grunted in pain, his body slamming into the unforgiving street below. His chest was burning, a large bruise already forming over where the odd handcuffs had hit him. His opponent screamed out again, in that strange language that he could not recognise. Struggling to his feet, he quickly jumped out of the way as the strange girl attempted another strike, leaving a crater in the street where his head had been not a second earlier.

Wordlessly pulling out his Bo-staff, Robin leapt forward, putting as much power as he could behind the swing he sent towards the girl. The staff met its target, propelling the girl off of her feet and into an abandoned car.

Bringing his weapon back into a defensive position, Robin watched as the girl struggled to free herself from the metal which had collapsed around her, effectively holding her in place. As a large jet flew overhead, his staff shattered, the force behind his latest attack too much for the metal pole to withstand.

Staring down dumbly at his now empty hands, Robin failed to realise that the girl had freed herself from her makeshift prison. With a single, foreign word, she cracked her neck, before springing forward to deliver her next attack.

Robin brought his arms up, ready to block the girl's next hit. She was already too close to dodge. The best he could do was take the attack, and hope nothing too important broke. Or snapped. Or ruptured.

Without warning, a dark shape suddenly appeared right in front of Robin, its shoulder slamming into the girl from the side. Caught off guard by the sudden strike, the girl was sent flying, only stopping when she hit the side of an already trashed building.

Robin lowered his arms cautiously, as the dark shape, which he could now identify as a tall, well-built person, turned to face him. their entire upper body was covered by a light grey sweater, with simple black pants adorning their legs. Their face, which was half covered by the sweater's hoodie, was a chocolaty brown, and Robin could see that one of his eyes was a piercing, glowing red.

"Wanna tell me why she's so angry with you, and why you're screwing up my neighbourhood?" The person growled, in what Robin could identify as a male voice.

"She started it." Robin informed, managing to not sound childish as he did so. "I'm Robin, by the-"

"I know who you are." The person cut him off, before shifting his attention back to the strange girl. "She's gotta be stopped."

"I know." Robin agreed, before noticing the bus that the girl was currently holding above her head. "But that could be a problem."

With a bellow, the girl took a step forward, balancing the bus carefully on the tips of her handcuffs. Bringing her arms forward, she threw the bus as forcefully as she could, sending it flying straight towards the oddly dressed pair at breakneck speed.

"I got this!" The hoodie wearing person announced, taking a step forward. Failing to see the debris that was scattered on the street beneath him, he stumbled over a burnt-to-a-crisp piece of car, accidentally falling forward as a result.

Robin, who had already leapt out of the way, turned back around, only to see the bus less than ten metres away from the man who had saved him earlier. The man in question, however, had apparently tripped over some of the litter that now decorated the street.

Either that, or he was planning on stopping the vehicle with his head.

"Look out!" Robin yelled, already jumping back to his feet.

The man didn't answer; he was too busy staring at the boy who had just appeared in front of him, seemingly out of thin air.

**XxX**

Beast Boy watched from a nearby rooftop as Robin and Cyborg spoke, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Starfire was picking up a bus. He had to actively resist the urge to groan and slap his own forehead.

The most important event in his life, and he was late for it. Great. Juuuust _great_.

Well, later was better than never.

Beast Boy morphed quickly into a honeybee, buzzing his way carefully down to the ground. Avoiding the shattered bits of glass and scattered, tiny fires, Beast Boy watched as Starfire threw the bus. Robin jumped out of the way as expected, whilst Cyborg…

Tripped over, directly in the path of the rapidly approaching automobile.

If Beast Boy's eyes weren't currently compounded, he was sure they would have popped out of their sockets. His body working on autopilot, Beast Boy transformed into a cheetah, already running as he hit the ground, faster than he ever had before.

Skidding to a halt in front of Cyborg, Beast Boy morphed back to human, his eyes trained on the airborne bus. Already, every single animal instinct in his body was telling him to move, to save himself. But there was no way that was happening. Beast Boy had already decided to act. That decision had been made for him, the second he had seen the look on Cyborg's face.

It was the same look he'd had in the final moments before the Brotherhood explosion tore him apart.

There was no way that was going to happen again. No way it would ever happen to anyone ever again. He was going to protect them, to save them. He'd already decided that.

Even if it meant sacrificing his own life in order to do so.

Quickly shifting into the biggest animal he could think of, Beast Boy spun around, swinging his newly acquired tail directly towards the still incoming mode of transportation. It he'd had more time to react, he probably would have grabbed Cyborg and leapt out of the way. It would have been the ideal course of action.

Still, he'd take what he could get.

Connecting with the bus, Beast Boy's tail sliced directly through, splitting the large vehicle almost completely down the middle. The two halves of the once functional bus separated In mid-air, each slamming to the ground on either side of Beast Boy and Cyborg. Barely a second later, they exploded, though there was nothing within the blast radius of either that could really get damaged any further than what they already were.

Beast Boy roared loudly, before shifting back into human. Catching sight of the burning remains of the bus, he sighed, before turning and offering a hand out towards Cyborg.

"You alright, dude?" He asked, hoisting the half robotic teenager back onto his feet.

"Uh." Was all Cyborg could manage, as he let Beast Boy drag his feet back underneath him. He must have been tripping. That was the only explanation that really made sense.

After all, he'd just been saved from a flying bus by a green tyrannosaurus Rex. One that apparently had a tail both durable and sharp enough to cut through metal. And was also a human boy, who looked like he was younger than him.

"I'll take that as a yes." Beast Boy said, doing his best to hold in the giggle that seemed desperate to escape. Cyborg speechless was always one of the funnier things he had been subjected to in life, and he had learnt early to cherish whenever it happened.

Which wasn't often.

Ignoring the look of impressed curiosity Robin was throwing his way, Beast Boy turned to face Starfire, raising his hands in the process.

"I don't wanna fight you!" Beast Boy called out, to the surprise of Robin and Cyborg. Starfire tilted her head slightly, her conjoined hands still resting in front of her. Without warning, she suddenly threw her hands up, before slamming them into the ground at her feet, kicking up a cloud of dust as she did so.

Jumping back from one of the fissures that had just been caused, Beast Boy turned to face the two standing behind him, waving his hands frantically in the air as he did so.

"Dudes, take cover!" He shrieked, right before the first starbolt flew out of the cloud. Slamming into a building on their right, it exploded on impact, sending more rubble down to the street to join what had already been destroyed.

Robin and Cyborg both gave slight noises of surprise, before all three of them leapt behind the closest thing they could.

"Dude!" Cyborg exclaimed from behind his half of the destroyed bus, Robin and Beast Boy hiding behind the other one. Starbolts were now flying wildly above their heads, exploding whenever something was unfortunate enough to cross their paths. "I thought you told her you didn't wanna fight!"

"I dunno, man!" Beast Boy called back, risking a glance over the top of the bus. Immediately, he pulled his head back, a starbolt tearing through the air moments later, right where Beast Boy had been. After desperately making sure that all of his hair was still on top of his head, Beast Boy breathed a silent sigh of relief, before shifting his attention back to Cyborg.

"Maybe she's the one that wants a fight?"

He knew it was a lie, but he had no choice. Already it was taking all of his self-control to give massive bro-hugs to the two boys by his side. After all, he may have known them, but they didn't know him.

And besides, he still needed to stall them long enough for Raven to turn up.

"Girl's gonna wreck the whole city!" Cyborg called, crouching lower as a starbolt deflected off the top of his half-bus, less than half a metre from his face.

"I won't let her!" Robin declared, getting ready to spring from behind the protective cover of the half-bus as the starbolts began to die down. "I won't lose this fight!"

As if on cue, the starbolts cut off completely, Starfire sinking to the ground in exhaustion. Seizing the opportunity, Robin burst out from behind his cover, Beast Boy and Cyborg hot on his heels. Before any of them could launch an attack, however, a mass of dark energy rose from the ground, taking the distinct shape of a certain black bird.

"Maybe…" A small, timid voice started, sounding both foreign and familiar at the same time, "fighting isn't the answer?"

The bird dissolved, dropping the barrier between Starfire and the rest of the teens. Whilst Cyborg and Beast Boy both turned to face the one who had spoken, Robin kept his gaze on the tired form of Starfire, before zeroing in on the handcuffs which still bound her arms. Immediately, his eyes seemed to flash from behind his mask, as his brained clicked in understanding.

"Stand down." He ordered, a bit too harshly.

"What, d'you think you're the boss or somethin'?" Cyborg challenged, taking a few steps towards the Boy Wonder.

"Just…give me a chance." Robin requested, slowly making his way towards the alien.

Cyborg muttered something beneath his breath, before looking down at Beast Boy again.

"What's this guy's deal?" He asked rhetorically, crossing his arms as he watched Robin pull some form of tool from his utility belt.

Beast Boy merely shrugged, as he watched the all too familiar scene play out in front of him.

As the handcuffs fell to the ground with a heavy thud, Beast Boy had to stifle a small giggle as Starfire pulled the surprised former protégé in for a deep kiss, before shoving him back, where he fell on his still slightly dazed backside.

"If you wish not to be destroyed, you will leave me alone!" Starfire threatened, speaking English for the first time. Without waiting for an answer, she launched herself into the air, disappearing behind the line of recently wrecked rooftops.

Beast Boy had to hold in a laugh at the look on Robin's face. His mouth was hanging open, the fabric which obscured his eyes from view stretched to its limit. As he got up silently form the ground, Robin kept his gaze on the sky, a thoughtful look crossing his dumbfounded face.

Stepping forward to introduce himself, much like he had the last time, Beast Boy suddenly froze. Though his instincts were informing him of imminent danger, he couldn't see anything around him that could pose an immediate threat. Except maybe the fire. Or sharp objects.

_'Unless…'_ He thought to himself, before bringing his eyes to the sky. Just as he'd feared, the clouds were beginning to separate, a large, all too familiar form of alien ship slowly descending through. As the others turned to face it as well, a massive pod, easily the size of the biggest structure in Jump City, was ejected from the underside of the ship, landing on the small island out in the bay, much like it had the first time around.

_'They're early.'_ Beast Boy mused to himself, opting to survey his surrounding rather than listen to the speech that was now being broadcast to the entire city. It wasn't like he hadn't heard the same lies before.

The street was in shambles. Very little had survived the initial wave of destructive starbolts, and everything else had already been borderline obliterated beforehand anyway. Scorched vehicles littered the sides of the streets, joining in with whatever chunks had been separated from the buildings surrounding them. Shattered glass decorated a majority of the floor, and any part of the ground that wasn't covered in waste was either cracked or cratered. There was definitely more destruction this time around, that could easily explain the early arrival of the Gordanians.

"You're gonna go after her, aren't you?" Cyborg asked, snapping Beast Boy out of his thoughts.

Robin cast one last glance at the handcuffs which lay in the street, before he looked up to the alien mother-ship. Already, Gordanian soldiers were flying out, each one equipped with a spear and a scowl.

"I need to see if she's a threat." He announced, taking a step away from the destruction, intent on starting his search.

Ignoring Cyborg's subsequent sarcastic remark, Beast Boy stepped forward, his best hopeful grin on his features.

This was it, the team's first adventure. The first time they worked together.

"Mind if we tag along?"

Robin turned around, facing the green boy who had spoken. Behind him, Raven was looking rather nervous, whilst Cyborg had a completely neutral look on his face. Still, the smile that Beast Boy was giving off was infectious; Robin could feel one pulling at his own lips.

"I suppose I could team up." Robin said, allowing the smile to reach his hidden eyes. "Just this once."

**XxX**

Robin poked his head out of the alleyway that he and the others were currently hiding in, watching as the aliens who had been searching the street flew away. It was difficult, navigating a city that he had never been in before, avoiding an invasion force as he did so. But he managed. He was the Boy Wonder, after all.

"So." He whispered, turning to face the superheroes behind him. "How do we-"

"She's near." Raven suddenly interjected, turning away as the boys all looked at her. "I…can sense things." She finished rather lamely.

"She's right." Beast Boy agreed, taking a whiff of the air. "I can smell her."

It wasn't exactly necessary, Beast Boy knew that. Unless something else had been altered, he knew exactly where the alien princess would be. Still, it was best that he keep tracking her anyway.

Even if he was technically from the future, it wouldn't hurt to make sure.

"There's…a sonic analyser built into my arm." Cyborg announced, pulling his sleeve back for the first time. His electronics glowed a bright blue in the murky darkness of the alley, as he began tapping buttons on the tiny screen that had just opened up on his wrist. "If she's around, I'll hear her."

"Dude…" Beast Boy breathed with feigned surprise, bringing his face down closer to the now exposed prosthetic limb. "That's…awesome!"

"It's not that cool." Cyborg muttered, his face turned to the ground. Even with the neon glow of his gadgetry, his face was hidden, obscured by the shadows in the back of his hood.

"Are you kiddin'?" Beast Boy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "You have a computer in your arm! That's, like, almost as cool as that dark energy stuff from earlier!"

"You…you think my powers are cool?" Raven questioned, feeling her cheeks heat up slightly as Beast Boy turned, grinning at her.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"I…I don't know." Raven admitted quietly, dropping her eyes down to the floor. "I guess I thought you'd think that I was creepy or something…"

Beast Boy's grin faltered, before turning into a warm smile. "Dude, why would I think you're creepy?"

Raven looked back up, a small frown on her face. "I have grey skin and my powers-"

"Stop." Beast Boy commanded sternly, shocking the girl into silence. "My skin is green. I have fangs. My ears are pointed. I can turn into animals, some of which are extinct. So don't even think for a second that I'm going to judge you because of your skin or powers. Got it?"

Raven nodded wordlessly, her face heating up even further than what it already had. Smiling warmly, Beast Boy turned back to Cyborg, whose finger had never left the screen on his arm.

"You got a lock on her?" He asked, completely oblivious to the look of obvious approval which had adorned Robin's face.

"Uh, yeah. She's somewhere in the street." Cyborg said, lowering his sleeve back down. His eyes found their way back to the floor, a small smile on his face.

"Hey, dude?" Cyborg said, his head still bowed to the ground, "thanks."

"No problem!" Beast Boy said happily, before perking his ears up.

"There!" He suddenly said, pointing towards a video store. It seemed as though history had remained true, it was the same one that they had found Starfire in last time. Without another word, Beast Boy shot from the alley, closely followed by Robin. Cyborg shook his head once, before looking down at Raven. Making eye contact, they both wordlessly nodded, before making their way out of the alley, tiny twin smiles on their faces.

"That was impressive, what you said back there." Robin said, catching up to the running Beast Boy. "Though I have to ask, did you mean it?"

"Every word, dude." Beast Boy said without hesitation, as though he were expecting the question. "They needed to hear it, I just told them the truth. Now, let's go get your girlfriend!"

Robin opened his mouth to protest, but Beast Boy was already gone, cackling wildly as he sped through the night, stopping right at the door of the shop.

**XxX**

Alright, I'll end this chapter off now.

I'll say this, I'm only releasing this chapter this early because I know what I want to do with the next one. I haven't actually started chapter (technically) 2 yet, what with everything else I have to do in my life. But let's be honest, you don't honestly care about that, so I won't go into details.

So, next update could be at any time this month. Probably under two weeks away, actually. I've been in a writing mood lately, it's positively marvellous.

So yes, leave a review! As I said, I love reading them, especially if they're constructive criticism. Seriously, just one can make an author's day. They're that awesome.

Alrighty then, I've rambled long enough. 'Till next time!

Peace!

_**X**_


	3. Chapter 2 - Unfortunate Circumstances

Yo', how's it going?

Hey look, a new chapter. Where did that come from?

(I slaved over a keyboard for hours on end you ungrateful fuc-)

*Ahem* anywho. Guest reviews and stuff!

Guest whom I have redubbed Mr. Guest: Look, I'll just say it. I was a prick to you in the last chapter's A/N with that comment at the end. It was never my intention to insult or belittle you, merely answer your question and let people see why I would not like to answer guest review questions. I humbly apologise for my behaviour, it was completely uncalled for. I hope you can forgive me for something I typed when I was in a bad mood.

Based Bobcat: Thanks, man. I care about my details in life too. I love you in a half-homo way. Is that an acceptable amount of homo? I hope it is, my feeling are too strong. Here, I wrote this haiku for you:

'Kick-ass reviewer.  
Always leaves awesome comments.  
My brains are hurting.'

Alright, I'm stopping before things get too weird. On with the show!

**Disclaimer: Doesn't take a genius to realise that I don't own Teen Titans. Then again, rich people generally aren't renowned for their intellect.**

**XxX**

_Chapter two - Unfortunate Circumstances_

The door to the video store swung open slowly, the hinges singing the song of their people. Light from the street outside flooded into the building, chasing the shadows away. The four teenagers stood in the doorway, doing their best to peer in through darkness.

"Dude…" Beast Boy muttered, gesturing towards the large hole in the wall, which Starfire had left on her way into the store, "we would have looked way more awesome if we decided to go in through there!"

"That's not our priority." Robin hissed, his sights landing on the feasting form of Starfire. Slowly, he began to walk into the store, doing his best to not make any noise. "We're here to get answers, not to worry about looking cool."

It was about at that time that the building exploded.

**XxX**

"Lord Trogaar, I still do not see why it was necessary for you to accompany us into the field like this, sir."

"I've already told you, Captain." Trogaar croaked, his eyes seeming to light up, along with the sky, as the nearly abandoned building was set ablaze. The street shaking with the force of the blast, the reptilian alien marched on bravely, stepping around debris every few steps. "We were warned of this planet, of how we were to face resistance. I am here merely to ensure that the task is completed."

"But sir!" The captain protested, waving a hand in front of his face to clear the smoke in the air. "This is Earth! There is nothing on this rock that can stand up to our forces!"

"That may be true." Trogaar conceded, before setting his sights on the unconscious form of Starfire, who was lying still in the store. "But the one who has provided me with this information is trustworthy."

"Sir, there was still no reason for you to leave the comfort of our ship."

"I am the strongest of our forces." Trogaar announced, crossing the threshold of the burning store in a few strides. Picking Starfire up with one massive hand, he walked back to his soldiers, clipping a pair of alien handcuffs on the blacked-out girl's wrists as he did so. "Therefore, I am most useful here, where there is the chance we face resistance. Do you disagree, Captain?"

"N-no, sir." The soldier spluttered out, bowing his head as he did so. Disagreeing with Trogaar was considered treason against the Gordanian Empire.

Treason was also one of the many things in the Gordanian Empire that was punishable by death.

Of course, that was only the law on Trogaar's ship. But if you were living under his roof and you weren't paying rent, then you had to follow the rules.

And seeing as the Gordanian soldiers were not payed any form of salary, they had to make do with what they were given. Even if what they were given was an egotistical lizard faced tyrant with a God complex, who spent more than half his time acting like a little, spoiled, prima-donna bitc-

"Sir!" One of the many soldiers called out from the other side of the store, raising his weapon as he did so. "There are others here!"

"Others?" Trogaar questioned, throwing Starfire into a passing soldiers arms. "What do you mean, 'others'?"

Kicking aside the now demolished door, the Gordanian soldier reached behind a pile of rubble, pulling Beast Boy out much like Mumbo would a chainsaw out of his hat.

"There are four in total, all young looking. There are what looks to be three males and one female. All are quite severely injured, though."

Trogaar nodded at the report, bringing one clawed finger to his chin.

"Sir? What shall we do with them?" The soldier asked, poking through the pile of rubble with his spear. "There does not appear to be any more."

"Handcuff the female." Trogaar announced, brushing a bit of debris form his shoulder. "We shall bring her with us. Human females frequently go for large sums of money on the black market."

"Understood. And what of the males?"

Trogaar raised one eyebrow as Beast Boy was thrust out towards him, as if awaiting inspection.

"Leave them. They will not survive very long either way, there is no point wasting energy or cells on already dying vermin."

The soldiers nodded once again, tossing Beast Boy back behind the debris like a sack of potatoes. Fishing Raven out, the Gordanian soldier did as he was instructed, holding the now handcuffed Raven by one hand as he stood in front of his leader.

"Alright, we are done here. Troops, move out!" Trogaar roared, spreading his wings wide. Before he could take off, however, a weak voice called out from the shadows, as if someone were talking in their sleep.

"You're…not….gonna…take 'em!"

**XxX**

Beast Boy hit the ground head first, resisting the urge to cry out in pain. He had been willing his body to move ever since he had heard the first Gordanian, but no matter what he tried nothing would respond.

"Alright!" He heard Trogaar call out, the entire store subsequently falling silent, "we are done here. Troops, move out!"

Beast Boy could feel the blood in his vein turn to ice.

He was taking them. Trogaar was taking Starfire and Raven. And all he could do was listen.

That couldn't happen! They hadn't formed the Titans, they hadn't beaten Slade, they hadn't defeated Brother Blood, and they hadn't survived the apocalypse.

They hadn't taken out the Brotherhood of Evil. And they would never get the chance. Why? Because they were going to fail the first thing they had ever done as a team.

That wasn't going to happen.

Ignoring the screaming pain coming from his everything, Beast Boy opened his mouth. He could feel the words; almost taste them, as though they were stuck in between his teeth. Taking as deep a breath as he could, he strained his vocal cords, focusing all of his energy on his voice.

"You're…not…gonna…take 'em!"

Well, it was a start.

Though he could have said it as though he _wasn't _talking through a mouthful of food.

Mustering all the strength he had left in his broken body, Beast Boy struggled to his feet. His muscles were shrieking, any bone that hadn't already threatening to snap.

"Oh? So he's awake. And so soon after taking a hit from our most powerful explosive? Impressive, boy." Trogaar commented, raising an eyebrow as Beast Boy fell to one knee, coughing up a lungful of blood. "Though it seems you have taken some damage. Such a pity, you might have fetched a good price-"

"Shut…up." Beast Boy growled, pushing himself back to his feet. Twin trails of blood were now leaking from both sides of his mouth, as he pulled his lips back, showcasing his razor sharp fangs in a threatening snarl.

"Oh? Such attitude!" Trogaar muttered sarcastically, yanking a spear from the hands of the soldier beside him. Clearing the distance between the green teenager and himself within a few strides, Trogaar grabbed Beast Boy by the collar of his uniform, hoisting him high into the air. "I'll just have to teach you some manners."

"Hah…you can try…but I'm really bad at…retaining lessons…" Beast Boy mumbled weakly, feebly pawing away at the clawed hand which held him captive. Already, he could feel himself fading away, giving in to the overwhelming temptation of unconsciousness. But there was no way he would allow himself to show that amount of weakness.

Until the blunt end of the spear connected forcefully with the side of his head, with enough strength to propel him from Trogaar's grip, face first into a pile of broken building.

Trogaar glanced down at the blood which was now splattered across his borrowed weapon, his face twisting into a mild look of disgust. Without so much as a customary wipe, he threw the weapon carelessly over his shoulder, smacking an unprepared soldier across the face with it as he did so. Turning back to Beast Boy, Trogaar harshly kicked the green boy in the stomach, before spitting on the ground beside him.

"Here's hoping your death is slow and painful, worm…" Was the last thing that reached Beast Boy's sensitive ears, before the darkness finally succeeded in swallowing him up.

**XxX**

"Get up."

Raven groaned, shaking her head lightly from side to side. She didn't want to wake up, this was the first time in weeks that she was able to sleep without having nightmares.

"I said get. Up."

Raven reluctantly opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to adjust to the new light level. Her mind still clouded with sleep, she attempted to raise a hand to her face, in order to wipe away the crust from the corners of her eyes.

Only she couldn't move her hands.

Tilting her head in confusion, Raven glanced down, looking past her destroyed cloak to her hands.

Her hands, which were currently bound together by an odd pair of incredibly large, incredibly heavy handcuffs.

Ignoring the panic that was bubbling in her chest, Raven looked around, doing her best to survey her surroundings.

She was in a cell. A prison cell. She was in a strange prison cell, wearing strange handcuffs, sitting just a few feet away from the strange girl from earlier who had thrown the bus.

How very strange.

"So you are awake. That is pleasing." The girl grunted, not sounding very pleased as she glared down at her handcuffs. From where she was sitting, Raven could see that her eyes were ablaze, glowing a radioactive green.

"Where are we?" Raven queried, snapping the girls attention away from her wrists.

"We are on a Gordanian ship, in a cell made for prisoners." The girl replied, throwing a sour look towards the gigantic door. "And I do none of the doubting that we are on our way to the Citadel."

"What is the Citadel?" Raven asked, shrinking back slightly from the look that was being thrown her way. It probably wouldn't have been that scary, if the girl's eyes weren't glowing at the time.

Before the girl could answer, the cell door swung open with so much force that it left a dent in the metal where it impacted. Two Gordanian soldiers walked in, one of them carrying a tray piled high with what could only be described as grey mud.

"Eat up, maggots." One of the guards said, as the other set the tray down on the ground in front of them. "This may be the only food you get for a while, so I would enjoy it if I were you."

"Echg't borrrdarra!" The girl shouted at the guards as they left the room, locking the door behind them.

Before Raven could ask for a translation, an intercom suddenly screeched into life, Raven and the girl both wincing as the shrill sound of feedback rang through their ears.

"Attention!" A raspy voice called out, louder than necessary. "We shall be leaving this planet within five of its minutes. I repeat, we shall be leaving this planet within five of its minutes. That is all."

"Five Earth minutes?" One of the guards complained from the other side of the door. "I don't even know what a minute is and already I know it'll take forever!"

"Relax." The second guard grunted. "We're only stuck here because one of the geniuses in the science lab was reluctant to mention how badly that blast would deplete our batteries. Besides, it's only three hundred seconds."

"A minute is three hundred seconds?"

"No, stupid. Five minutes all together is three hundred seconds. Weren't you listening in the meeting this morning?"

"Oh, right. Say, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"What's a second?"

The sound of a scaly fist connecting with something rang throughout the hallway, a loud "OW!" following not a second later. From behind the door, Raven and the girl shared an uneasy glance. Or, about as uneasy as Raven was willing to show. Here they were, trapped in a prison cell, stuck with handcuffs that Raven's powers didn't seem to have any effect on, about to launch off into space towards something that could make a girl who could shoot explosives and throw cars run and hide.

Yeah, it was safe to say that Raven was feeling quite a bit of uneasiness at that point.

**XxX**

"Dude, wake up!"

Beast Boy groaned, his eyes opening into tiny slits.

"Get up, man! We don't have time to play around!"

Sitting up slowly, Beast Boy moaned, clutching his aching head in one hand. In front of him, six people sat, watching him with concern on their faces.

"You alright, man?" Three on them asked simultaneously, as the world began spinning around them.

"Uh…" Beast Boy mumbled, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" The other trio asked, throwing their hands in front of Beast Boy's face.

"Uh…twelve?" Beast Boy tried hesitantly, crossing his eyes in order to count every digit.

"Alright, he's not OK."

"Why is there six of you?" Beast Boy inquired, closing his eyes and shaking his head slightly. The pounding in his skull was worsening, the smell of blood and smoke still overwhelming his nostrils.

"Damn it! What are we supposed to do now? We got about three minutes before Space Gecko up there turns the city into a smoking hole!" The first trio snapped, throwing their hands into the air in unison.

"I don't know." The second trio replied, two of them slowly starting to fade. "We can't just sit here and do nothing, though. We have to think of something."

"Think of what?" The first trio demanded, turning back to the second trio. Four of the boys had almost faded, as the world slowly began grinding to a halt. "I've been torn apart! You can't even stand! He's completely out of it! What is it that we can-"

"Wait." Beast Boy mumbled, breaking Cyborg out of his rant. The universe around him had finally stilled, the copies of his acquaintances faded into nothingness. "What's going on?"

"Seriously? Where you been the last few minutes?" Cyborg yelled, only to be met with a blank stare. "Oh, right. Well, uh…"

"The announcement was only about a minute ago." Robin cut in, clutching his chest as he winced. "Apparently, we've managed to annoy them to the point of destroying the entire city. The deadline's in about three and a half minutes."

"And," Cyborg added, sparks flying from his chest, "We still have no idea where those two girls went."

"He took them." Beast Boy said, the pain in his head subsiding somewhat.

"Who?"

"Trogaar."

"…Who?"

"The… uh… the big lizard guy. He was probably the one in the hologram." Beast Boy explained, struggling to his feet. His muscles complained with every movement, but he ignored them, opting to instead examine the two in front of him.

Robin looked as though he had seen better days. The Boy Wonder sat, leaning against a pile of debris, a pained expression on his face. His costume was badly damaged, rips and burns littering the surface of the resilient fabric. He was still in one piece, which was surprising, seeing as he had been the one closest to the blast. His cape, which was lying on the ground underneath him, was badly burnt. It was the only protection he had had throughout the whole ordeal, and was probably what had stopped the teenager from catching fire in the first place.

Cyborg didn't look any better. Much of his cybernetic body was badly burnt, two entire limbs having been torn off. Whole sections of his chest had been melted away, wires sticking out every few inches. Thin trails of blood ran down the human half of his face, whilst the robotic half was more or less open completely, revealing part of the supercomputer that functioned as his brain. Scraps of fabric stuck to his body in an irregular pattern, being all that was left of the civilian clothes he had worn beforehand.

"Well, this talking ain't getting us anywhere." Cyborg announced, attempting to struggle to his foot. With only one arm and leg, both being on opposite sides of his body, he wasn't getting anywhere quickly. "The entire city's gonna be obliterated in about three minutes, we gotta do something."

"Yeah, we do. But there's not much we can do besides call for backup." Robin proclaimed, coughing lightly into one hand. Ignoring the tiny flecks of blood which now stained his glove, he pushed himself to his feet, silently wincing the entire way. "It sounds like they're planning on destroying the city, then running before the Justice League gets to them."

"Yeah, but that doesn't help us. We need to do something now!"

"We don't have any other options, we're too injured t-"

Beast Boy silently turned away from the two arguing boys in front of him, looking up towards the sky. The large, cannon like protrusion of the alien ship was already glowing, humming as huge amounts of energy was passed through.

They were running out of time.

Reinforcement would never arrive before the cannon fired. Robin couldn't walk. Cyborg was too damaged.

That only left him.

Beast Boy clenched a fist, focusing all of his concentration. The bickering of the teenagers behind him wasn't helping any, but he would have to make do. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled, before letting out a tiny grunt of pain.

"Yo', you alright?" Cyborg asked, looking up as Beast Boy swayed slightly on his feet.

"Yeah…" Beast Boy groaned, experimentally stretching his broken arm. To his relief, it responded normally, the lingering pain being the only evidence that it was ever damaged.

Forcing his cells to regenerate in order to heal his major injuries was still one of his most useful capabilities, one that he would be forever grateful to Mento for discovering, albeit accidentally, during one of their training sessions.

Too bad that it always took most of his energy, not to mention left all the pain of a forcefully broken limb behind.

"We need to act, now!" Robin yelled, drawing the attention of both teens. "We've only got two minutes lef-"

"I'll go."

"Wait what?"

"I said I'll go." Beast Boy repeated, turning back to the ship. Slowly, he began making his way out of the destroyed store, his eyes never leaving the Gordanian's particle weapon.

"You can't go on your own!" Cyborg cried, making another attempt to get to his feet. "You're more injured than the two of us put together! My scanners-"

"Must be wrong." Beast Boy interjected, glancing at the robotic teenager over his shoulder. "I'm fine."

"Huh?" Cyborg muttered, turning his eyes back to the screen on his arm. "That can't be right, I checked when you were out of it…"

"Regardless, we can't let you go alone." Robin insisted.

"You don't have a choice." Beast Boy replied, closing his eyes. Feathers were slowly beginning to sprout from his skin, his nose and mouth stretching into a sharp beak.

"Say what?" Cyborg exclaimed, whilst Robin silently nodded from beside him.

"Neither of you can fly." Beast Boy informed them, before leaping into the air. Finishing his transformation, the green eagle took off into the night, ascending rapidly towards the alien ship.

"Oh." Was all Cyborg could say, as he watched the green bird tearing into the sky. Broken body temporarily forgotten, he turned to Robin, who was watching the sky with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Well, now what do we do?" Cyborg asked, wincing as sparks began raining from his chest.

Robin was silent for a moment, before he turned to the half-robot beside him. Letting out a brief sigh, he shook his head once, before setting his sights on Cyborg's right shoulder.

"Well, first thing's first." He announced, grunting slightly as he took a step towards Cyborg. "We need to rebuild you."

"Good luck in this dump." Cyborg muttered, rolling his eyes at a particularly wobbly pile of trash.

"Do you think he can pull it off?"

Robin raised an eyebrow at the sudden question, before a small smile spread itself across his lips. "He's not alone, you know."

"What?" Cyborg exclaimed, his head turning around so quickly that Robin briefly feared that he had injured himself. "But I thought he just-"

"I'm not talking about us." Robin said, shuffling from pile to pile of rubble. "According to him, there's two super powered girls up there, and they're not going to be too happy about being kidnapped by giant space lizards."

"Oh, right. Wait, how did he know they were up there?"

Robin paused briefly, before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. We'll have to ask him when he gets back. Now, isn't that your arm over there?"

Cyborg twisted his neck, doing his best to look in the indicated direction from his position. Sure enough, atop the largest pile of debris, sat a remarkably undamaged arm, which was waving merrily down at them from its perch.

"Yeah!" Cyborg cheered, waving back with his still attached arm. "Now all we gotta do it get it down here so I can reattach it."

"Sounds like a plan." Robin declared, before him mouth twisted into a thoughtful frown. "But how are we going to get it down?"

"…You sure you're not able to fly?"

"Absolutely positive."

"Well shit."

**XxX**

Beast Boy landed silently atop the massive ship, morphing back to human as he did so. Heart pounding, he took off at a run, his mind racing along faster than his feet could ever hope to achieve.

_'What should I do first, save the girls or take out the weapon? The weapon is deadly, sure. But the girls take priority.'_

"Attention all Gordanian's within headquarters!" A raspy voice called out, the whining feedback indicating the use of an intercom. "The particle cannon will be firing within one Earth minute. I would suggest sitting back in order to enjoy the show."

_'Weapon takes priority, sorry girls.'  
_  
Spinning on his heel, Beast Boy shifted into a cheetah, digging his claws as best he could into the metal beneath his feet. He knew where the control room was, he had been on this ship before.

Taking off at a sprint, the green cat rocketed along the top of the ship, the air stinging his eyes. He had less than a minute to get to the helm of the ship, force his way through every Gordanian on the way there, and shut off the weapon.

He could do that.

There was only one problem with his perfect plan.

He was outside the ship, separated from the controls by metal that was strong enough to contain Starfire's brute Tamaranian strength.

Sliding to a halt above the control room, the green cat experimentally scratched at the surface of the ship, leaving not so much as a mark.

He couldn't do that.

Panicking, Beast Boy reverted back to human, glancing down worriedly at the shining cannon in front of him. He had less than thirty seconds left, and his entire plan had just fallen apart. All with no effort expended from the Gordanians.

"Come on Beast Boy, think!" He muttered to himself, both hands balled into tight fists against his forehead. Nothing was coming to mind, nothing that completely ridiculous, that is.

"Wait…" Beast Boy whispered to himself, replaying his latest thought in his head. "It's not awful, but it'll probably hurt a lot…"

"Attention all Gordanians within headquarters!" The intercom blared once again, Beast Boy covering his sensitive ears as the feedback whined. "The particle weapon will be firing in ten, nine, eight…"

_'Crap!'_ Beast Boy mentally screamed, transforming as quickly as he could. In a blur of green feathers, he had disappeared, streaking off into the surrounding, inky darkness.

Robin and Cyborg were still down there, directly in the firing line of the weapon. Starfire and Raven were being held captive, ready to taken from Earth forever, most likely to be sold as slaves.

All of them were counting on him. All of them were leaving their life in his hands.

_'This'll hurt like hell.'_ The green peregrine falcon thought, his beak puncturing through the top of the clouds at record speed, _'but I have no choice.'_

In one fluid motion, the bird flipped around, beating his wings as hard as he could. Entering the veil of clouds once again, Beast Boy powered through, feeling the air smashing against his face.

_'They're counting on me…'_

The avian's form burst through the clouds once more, sights set on the large cannon directly below it.

_'Just like last time…'_

The fastest bird on Earth narrowed its eyes, it body beginning to transform.

_'I'm not failing again…'_

The Gordanian intercom was still squawking in the background, though Beast Boy couldn't hear it. His body was growing larger and larger, fins and razor sharp teeth bursting from his green skin.

_'No matter what it takes…'_

Transformation complete, the gargantuan animal closed its eyes completely, the heat from the apocalyptic weapon below him already burning his rubbery skin.

_'I don't care if it kills me…'_

Beast Boy snapped his eyes open, his teeth already sinking through layer upon layer of alien metal. With one almighty tug, he pulled the weapon clean off of the nose of the ship, ignoring the stinging electricity that was flowing directly into his mouth.

_'Because this time around…'_

Twisting his thick neck as far as he could, Beast Boy let go of the destroyed section of the alien ship. It flew through the air, managing to clear the entirety of the city. Slamming down into the bay, the weapon exploded, sending waves out in all directions.

_'Nothing will stop me…'_

With a primal roar, the animal began to plummet once again. Picking up speed, its tail slammed into the side of the ship, enough force behind the blow to make the alien vehicle wobble. Electricity still coursing through its body, the ancient fish closed its eyes, darkness obscuring its vision once again.

_'From saving them!'_

Oblivious to the cries of two familiar teenagers, the humongous carnivore slammed to the ground, kicking up a dust cloud large enough to cover a city block. Pain shot through the creature's cold blooded body, the road beneath its massive weight cratering.

_'Good luck, you lizard bastards...'_ Beast Boy thought to himself, feeling his body begin to transform once again. His fins began shrinking into his back, his teeth narrowing and shrinking slightly. Thick, bristly fur began sprouting from every inch of skin, flippers morphing back into large, muscly arms. His tail split apart, transforming into two powerful looking legs.

With a growl, Beast Boy pushed himself off of the ground, standing tall within the confines of the cloud of dust. His fur standing on end, he glared through the haze of dirt, directly at the Gordanian ship overhead.

He'd taken care of the weapon.

Now it was time to save the girls.

Bellowing into the night, Beast Boy launched himself straight up, the sheer force of his leap creating a small shockwave, pushing the cloud of dust in all directions.

Little more than a green streak against a murky, star speckled backdrop, he shot off into the air towards the Gordanian ship, claws extended in front of him.

_'I'll tear your ship apart before I let you take them away!'_

**XxX**

**With the cannon taken care of, Beast Boy must now release Starfire and Raven from their prison. But with Trogaar apparently having help from an unknown third party, what will he have to do in order to achieve his goal and reunite the Titans?**

Alright, I'll end this off here.

You know what's really funny? Last chapter I said I had an idea of what I wanted to do with this chapter and that I would be able to release it soon as a result.

Yeah, this chapter was an absolute bitch to write. None of the ideas would work, words wouldn't fit properly, and overall everything went wrong. That's why this chapter is a little bit shorter.

So yes, now that that's all over, leave a review! I'll even leave a little game for this chapter. If you can guess what two animals Beast Boy turned into at the end there (the one that destroyed the weapon and the one that I ended the chapter with) I'll give you a shout-out next chapter, as well as a…cookie. Yeah, a cookie. Everyone likes them, right?

Well, sucks if you don't, 'cos I don't have any other fake prizes.

No cheating either! I'm watching you…

So yeah, until next chapter!

Peace!

_**X**_


	4. Chapter 3 - Prison Break

Eeeeeehhhhh!

Greetings, readers.

Y'know, I've been thinking recently. All these other authors have something they can call their readers. Like, I've seen people being referred to as 'Muffins', 'Minions' and even 'Bitchez'. So, why don't I hop on the bandwagon?

My first thought was 'My readers can be the X-Men!' Get it? 'Cos my name is X? Yeah, you got it. But then it dawned on me; some of my readers are girls.

Now, I'm not sexist. So that name was out. So then I had to start thinking, what do you all have in common?

I couldn't go X-People, because there are some of you out there who don't deserve to be referred to as people. You know who you are, you pricks. But then it dawned on me. If you've got a computer or phone and your reading my stories, it's safe to assume you're wearing clothes, right? 'Cos it'd get really weird if I found out people were doing dirty things whilst reading my stories…*shiver*

So, for that reason alone, and not because I'm completely immature and I find this hilarious, I shall now be calling my readers 'The X-Dressers'!

I'm sure this story will lose about fifteen followers for this, but ah well. Completely worth it.

So, on with the show!

**Disclaimer: Even if the chapter is slightly longer this time around, doesn't mean I own Teen Titans**

**XxX**

_Chapter three - Prison Break_

Beast Boy ripped through the underside of the Gordanian ship, the unique metal shredding beneath his claws like paper. Forcing his hands into the small lacerations he had created, he violently threw the appendages apart, easily tearing a hole big enough for an Ankylosaurus to fit through. Within the blink of an eye, the superhero had climbed inside the alien spacecraft, the tips of his serrated nails leaving tiny dents as he did so.

All in under a second.

Claws extended in front of him, the large animal continued upwards, following the long tunnel that he had found himself in. A cool breeze was wafting through, causing the hair on the back of his neck to rise as a shiver coursed through his body unbidden. Far behind himself, he could hear the unmistakable sounds of Gordanian conversation, the raspy voices barely audible over the large fan at the end of the tunnel, the way opposite of his choosing.

He was probably in an air vent, then. A ridiculously large air vent.

The large animal let a satisfied grin cross his face, the claws on his hands slowly retracting. As quietly as he could, he raised his nose to the sky, taking in all the scents around him.

An air vent was the perfect cover for his fuzzy body. The various openings would provide him with enough smells to lay out an accurate map of the ship within his mind, whilst hiding his incredibly conspicuous form from view.

_'Looks like I'm finally getting some luck my way.'_ The changeling noted to himself, rolling his eyes as his thoughts strayed back to everything that had happened less than a half hour ago. _'Took it long enough…'_

Beast Boy continued down the unnaturally large tunnel, his head brushing lightly against the ceiling. He would have reverted to walking on all fours in order to give himself a bit more room to breathe, but it would be too risky to deny the dexterity that his form was granted, especially when he was bypassing a literal army by no more than a few feet.

And unless he willingly gave up the control that he had trained so hard for, Beast Boy knew that even as The Beast, he stood no chance against a battalion of aliens, all of whom more than ready to kill.

Stealth was to be his friend, shadows his acquaintances. His mission was one of silence, not to mention utmost importance.

_'That's probably something Batman would say.'_ The shape shifter mused to himself, unable to contain the shiver of dread that ran down his spine.

If it had been a few years ago, Beast Boy probably would have been ecstatic to have his thinking process mirror that of the Dark Knights' so much. But after seeing what a childhood full of the legend had done to certain parts of Robin's psyche?

…Not so much._  
_  
"Have you heard? Apparently the ground troops managed to apprehend a second female from this planet. Why anyone would want scum from this rock baffles me. And we only find out when we're about to leave, no less."

Beast Boy froze, his ears immediately flicking upwards. The person who owned the voice had sounded as though their throats were coated in sandpaper.

Yep, definitely Gordanian.

Beast Boy closed his eyes, focusing as intently as he could on his senses of hearing and smell. He needed to know where he was, and how many opponents would await him if he decided to attack.

If they were deciding to leave, then Beast Boy would be forced to sacrifice his stealth for speed. And if he wasn't careful, that speed could quickly devolve into a lot of bloodshed.

Whether the blood would be theirs or his, he couldn't know. But even so, both possibilities were undesirable at best.

Right beside where the voice had originated from, Beast Boy could easily detect a low, consistent hum. The air stank of oil and electricity, the wind blowing through the vent around his body being a lot hotter than anywhere else he had encountered. Already, the possibilities were narrowed down significantly.

It couldn't be another weapon being charged, he had been heading upwards and towards the center of the ship. From this position, the only thing the weapon would be able to hit was water, unless it was pointed directly down.

No matter how thick-headed the Gordanians were, they weren't possible that stupid.

Something along the lines of the cafeteria or (if they had one) the gym would not require this level of constant power. Judging from the smell, the voltage going through those wires was incredibly high.

As in 'capable of carrying an entire ship full of butt-ugly aliens through space' high.

"Quiet, you fool!" A second voice snapped, somehow managing to sound even more like a person about to die in the desert. "I do not desire to be punished for speaking out against Lord Trogaar's decisions. Our job is merely to confirm that the engines will have enough power for this trip. I do not wish to add 'write will' to my ever growing list of things to do!"

Bingo. He was in the engine room, no doubt near the center of the ship. Hell, he was probably only a few feet from it.

"Alright, relax!" The first alien snapped, a loud metallic thud indicating he had just kicked the engine itself. "I was just saying that we are only here for one girl. There is no purpose in taking a second one, that wasn't part of this deal."

"And how am I supposed to know?" The second Gordanian asked rhetorically, tapping his spear against one of the many gauges on the side of the massive engine. "Lord Trogaar has his own reasons. It might just be a case of he plans to have his way with the second one. The first one's virginity has already been promised to the Citadel's first prince."

Beast Boy felt the words hit his ears like a ton of bricks, his claws extending to their terrifying full length completely on their own accord. One glance of the fifteen inch serrated knives would be enough to send the deadliest of carnivores back to where it came from with its tail between its legs.

A second glance at the look of pure rage on The Beast's face would ensure they'd leave an ocean of urine behind as they went.

The Beast approached the side of the vent, his body exuding an aura of deadly calm. Laying an ear against the warm metal, he listened as the various machines slowly whirred, the tips of his razor-sharp claws gently tapping out their own rhythm against the side of his thigh. Completely focused, every conscious thought in his head vanished, pure animalistic instinct taking the reins.

He was no longer a super powered teenager, undergoing a rescue mission in order to save two of his friends.

He was a dangerous creature, poised and ready to battle. And as he stood there, not even bothering to draw a breath, one last thought entered his mind, forcing him to bite back a snarl that was fighting to escape.

It didn't matter anymore that he was on a ship that was preparing to leave the Earth's atmosphere. It didn't matter that he was trying to be as quiet as possible. It didn't matter that Cyborg and Robin were stuck on the ground, being able to do nothing other than hope he would succeed.

The only important thing to him at that moment was the next sentence that he would hear.

Because that sentence alone would decide whether or not the two on the other side of the vent would survive their encounter with The Beast.

**XxX**

Robin and Cyborg both watched silently as the mysterious animal disappeared from their sight, not looking back as it clawed its way further into the underside of the ship. The dust cloud from earlier had now cleared completely, showing no sign of the gargantuan ocean creature which had been its cause.

Cyborg rubbed a hand absently across his chin, glancing down at the small screen on his newly attached arm. Beside him, Robin kept his gaze locked on the ship; more specifically the gaping hole that Beast Boy had left in his wake.

Cyborg sighed, his hand dropping back down to his still unattached leg. The foot had been melted off almost completely, and unlike his arm the cybernetics had been severely damaged. Still, the teenager would have to screw it back on sooner or later, unless he planned on getting everywhere by hopping.

"My scanners ain't picking up anything from that thing." He announced, drawing the Boy Wonder's attention. Even though he couldn't see them, Cyborg was sure that his eyes were narrowed behind the mask that obscured much of his face.

"What do you mean?" He asked, glancing back towards the hole in the ship; the only evidence that the odd creature wasn't just a hallucination caused by fatigue. "It obviously wasn't human."

"That's the thing, man." Cyborg said, retrieving a spanner from a compartment in his arm. "When I tried to get a read on it, the closest thing I could match it to WAS human."

"That can't be right." Robin declared, in a tone that was all business. "That doesn't make sense. Clearly that was no human."

"Well, I dunno what to tell you, man." Cyborg shrugged, his attention lingering on his leg as he began reconnecting the limb. "My scanners don't lie, and they were telling me that that thing was human. So, unless whoever it was up there has been altered in some way there's something wrong with my systems."

"When was the last time your scanners were wrong?" Robin asked, absently handing a small screw that he had uncovered earlier to the metallic teen.

Cyborg accepted the screw graciously, carefully adding into the jumble of wrecked electronics that was his hip. "Apart from with that green kid earlier? I've never even had to deal with a bug, dude. I'm the most advanced computer you'll find on this continent. If there were a problem with my software, I'd know it."

Robin nodded, not having enough information on the topic to either agree or disagree with the boy in front of him.

True, he'd been trained by the world's greatest detective in a lot of areas, technology included. But he wasn't about to start an argument over glitches with a person who was made of the tech in question.

He wasn't stupid, and right now he wasn't smart. But he was willing to learn.

"Hold on." Robin said suddenly, a thought striking him out of nowhere. "That shark earlier. Did your scanners manage to get it?"

"You mean that thing that tore the cannon right off of the ship?" Cyborg said, his voice taking an impressed tone despite the obvious sarcasm behind the remark. "No, I didn't. But I can tell you that I am 100% certain that it kicked serious ass. "

Robin ignored the overly-fan boyish remark, his gaze drifting back to the large crater in the street not too far from them. The outline of the massive dent was almost perfect. There were even a few holes in the ground where the shark's teeth must have impacted.

"That thing must have been thirty meters long. Maybe even up to forty. It's teeth were powerful enough to tear through metal that was designed to withstand the void of space, and there are none of them stuck in the ground after the impact, even though sharks are well known for losing and regrowing their teeth. Strangely enough, it didn't come from the water, it came from the clouds. Not to mention the most important part; it's gone."

"So? I was just gonna write it down as one of God's miracles and move on with my life." Cyborg shrugged, doing a marvellous job of sounding convincing despite the obvious sarcasm the sentence was intended to convey. "Still, I'm not seeing how any of this is relevant."

"How do you not see? Were your eyes damaged in the blast too?" Robin exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to alleviate the intense disbelief circling around his brain. "A green Tyrannosaurus Rex appears in the middle of the city on the same night a ginormous green shark does? And now we have whatever that thing was earlier, attacking the ship. And can you guess what colour it was?"

It took Cyborg a lot longer than he would ever like to admit to finally catch on to what Robin was saying. "Well, I didn't get a really good look at it, but I'm going to guess-"

"Green? Yeah, you'd be correct." Robin interjected, cutting the still-caught-in-denial teen off. "Looks like we need to hurry up."

"What?" Cyborg muttered, his eyes staring blankly at the megalodon indent in the street a bit further ahead. "You're telling me that that green kid did this…?"

"Focus!" Robin called, snapping Cyborg out of his shock induced daydream. "We need to put you back together and secure a better location, now!"

"Wait, what? Why?"

Robin sighed in annoyance, pointing a single hand towards the still incredibly discernible alien spacecraft above them. "Because I don't know what that boy is capable of, other then turn into animals. And if his claws are strong enough to cut through their ship, they're going to want to capture him as well. Right now, we've either got to be trying to assist them from here, which would be useless, or we can prepare for a fight, and maybe win this thing. And I don't care how strongly you politely decline my idea, it's going to happen."

"Wait." Cyborg said, deciding against starting an argument with the spiky-haired teen in front of him. "Prepare for a fight? You just said it'd be impossible to get up there, how are we supposed to participate in any fighting?"

Right as the words had left the mechanical teenager's mouth, the sky above their heads lit up, a spectacular mixture of sparks and flames billowing out of a brand new hole in the centre of the ship. As both boys whipped their heads up, the sound of the explosion hit their ears, the dust settled around them being kicked up as the ground beneath their feet shook.

Covering his eyes with one hand, Robin glared up at the ship, his eyes straining against the incredible light being emitted. Smoke and flames were all that were visible from his vantage point of the ground, the explosion having apparently ripped the entirety of that section of the ship to shreds. As the Boy Wonder watched, the ship lowly began losing altitude, the front tipping forward to face the water in the start of a dangerous nosedive.

"Because," the Boy Wonder began, turning away from the sinking ship, "I knew something like this would happen."

Cyborg didn't bother answering; his attention was focused entirely on reattaching his leg as quickly as possible, all the while watching as the ship fell from the sky.

**XxX**

Beast Boy stood completely still, his ear flush against the side of the vent. His body was beginning to heat up, the close proximity of the scorching metal in front of him doing nothing to help with the uncomfortable temperature. Despite the incalescence of the air around him and the headache inducing thrum of the powerful engine meters away, he refused to put any distance between himself and the torturous alloy, lest he miss the next sentence that was uttered by the oblivious, insufferable pair.

He hoped that he'd like the next set of words that would escape their lips. For their sake, of course.

"You know." The first Gordanian, whom Beast Boy had quickly labelled the stupider of the two, said quietly, "The Citadel doesn't usually check for stuff like that. If we wanted to, we could probably sneak into their cell right now and enjoy ourselves a bit."

He didn't like that set of words. Not one bit.

The Beast's eyelids dropped into a deadly glare, the hand that was tapping against his thigh tightening to the point of drawing blood. Rage, the likes of which he hadn't felt in over a year, was coursing through his veins, heating the blood that was now pounding in his ears.

For the first time in months, he felt the discipline over the monstrous form he was controlling begin to slip, his mind filling with the familiar fog. If he wasn't careful from this point on, there was no guarantee that he would be able to stop himself from rampaging through the entire ship.

If he did, he knew that more than two Gordanian soldiers would not survive.

And yet, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Back when the team had met Starfire the first time, she had commented that The Citadel were 'not nice'. She'd no doubt known of their plans, yet had described them as though their most major crime was slapping ugly children.

She'd broken free from prison, and they'd saved her. Never once knowing of the secret she had decided to carry around with her, probably not telling anyone until after she had been sent to her grave. And now here she was, trapped in the same situation, although this time Raven had been dragged into her suffering as well.

All because he'd failed to keep them safe.

_'What was the point of coming back if I fuck it all up right at the beginning!?'_

"You're possibly right." The second Gordanian commented, completely unaware of the ten foot behemoth that was currently planning on ending his life, painfully. "Though it would be unwise to shirk this responsibility. This job is very important."

Beast Boy could feel every last human thought leaving his head, his pupil-free eyes narrowing even further than before.

Everything was gone. The self-loathing, the disgust, the horror.

All that was left was the punishment of the two who had even considered doing 'not nice' things to the two girls that he would happily refer to as sisters.

Pulling his serrated knives that doubled for claws out of his own thigh, The Beast didn't even so much as wince as blood began raining out of the deep gashes, colouring the dull grey floor in a puddle of red.

Bringing his hand back, The Beast took a step away from the side of the vent, his arm positioned directly in front of him. With a low growl, he swung, the large talons of his fingers aimed directly in front of his face. He'd destroy the wall, dispose of these two idiots, and then tear the entire ship apart before anyone else could figure out what was going on. It wasn't something he'd normally consider doing, that was true.

But he was no longer in control of the Beast's actions.

That was the plan, anyway.

His fingertips mere centimetres away, The Beast stopped, even his fur freezing completely in place. He'd been ready to rip everything to shreds, including and especially Trogaar. But here he stood, completely still, as a single, familiar, lone voice called out to him inside his own head.

_'Run.'_

Without a second glance, The Beast spun on his heel, his powerful legs carrying him further down the vent with each passing millisecond. He'd almost given away his cover, endangering the girls in the process. But he didn't care about that.

He'd been told to leave, he was leaving. It didn't matter what the situation. His instincts had told him what to do, and The Beast always listened to his instincts.

Because when he didn't, the wrong people would end up dead. He'd had to learn that the hard way.

Less than a second after The Beast had vacated his previous spot, a massive explosion rocked the ship, the vent imploding in on itself as flames ruptured the already superheated steel. Feeling the calefaction of the air against his backside, The Beast sped up, claws sliding back and he switched to four legs. If Beast Boy were in his right mind, he probably would have shifted into something that had more speed.

Beast Boy wasn't in his mind, though.

Slowly, the fire began dispersing from behind him, flames winking away into nothingness. The Beast began slowing down, eventually coming a rest against the side of the vent. His chest heaved as he gulped in massive breath after massive breath or stinging air, wiping the soot from his back as he did so. He must have run half the length of the ship before the flames eventually died out, his muscles still aching from their earlier exhaustion.

Still, he had no time to rest.

Hauling himself back to his feet, The Beast cautiously began making his way back the way he had come. Each step on the partially melted floor was met with a small whimper of pain from the fearsome animal, causing him to make his way back to the engine room faster and faster. The atmosphere was disgusting, small clouds of smoke still lingering in the air as it began escaping the vent through any opening possible.

Reaching the partially melted metal that was his doorway into the engine room, The Beast waved a hand in front of his face, clearing a small patch oxygen within the sea of carbon dioxide. Sucking in as much air as possible, The Beast ventured into the dark cloud of smog, every available sense working on finding a way through to the doorway.

Without warning, a small groan registered within The Beast's eardrum, causing the Titan to look down in surprise. There, lying at his feet, was a badly burned Gordanian soldier, spear held protectively in front of him. As the animal watched, his chest slowly heaved, indicating that the alien was somehow still alive, despite much of the metal around him having melted, including most of the floor.

"Gaaahhh…" The Gordanian moaned, sucking down another painful sounding breath. Seemingly on their own, four long claws extended from the tips of The Beast's fingers, as he knelt down beside the fallen soldier, one hand brought lightly to his throat.

He could kill him now. Rip out his vocal chords, severe some arteries. Cause him more pain than any explosion would ever be able to. It was too bad that he couldn't see the second soldier anywhere within the room.

That way he could punish them both. Though death was still too good for them.

The Beast growled in triumph, one single finger against the scaly skin of the heavily wounded alien. One quick slice. That would be all it would take. He would be a hero.

_'Hero…'_

The word floated around The Beast's mind, causing his to pause, one finger still against the green throat below him. Why did it sound so familiar?

_'You're a hero… Heroes don't…kill…'_

The Beast snarled in annoyance, pressing his finger against the side of the Gordanian's neck. The edge of his claw brushed against the scaly green skin, the simple contact enough to draw a thin line of blood.

Why did _he_ have to appear every time, whenever The Beast got close enough to smell the flesh of his prey?

_'They need me… The girls…You're supposed… To protect…Aren't you?'_

The Beast paused again, the words barely a whisper in the sea of bloodlust within his psyche. The girls. They needed him.

Of course. How could he forget?

Slowly, The Beast's furry body began to shrink, bristly fur receding back into green skin. The claws began to disappear, immediately being replaced with blunter, though still deadly, pointed fingernails. His teeth shrank back into his gums, pupils beginning to re-emerge from the milky sea of nothingness within his eyes.

Beast Boy slowly rose to his feet, a blank look on his face. One hand clenched into a fist, he looked down at the Gordanian soldier who had been caught in the blast, noting the pained expression on his face with some form of sadistic satisfaction. Without a word, he turned around, morphing into a green cheetah as he sprinted through the mostly dispersed cloud of smoke, towards the badly damaged door.

Even if he wasn't going to kill him, there was no way in hell he'd attempt to save him from the falling ship.

As he ran through into the hallway outside, he failed to notice the dark cloaked figure with a neutral expression on his face, standing in the corner of the room, a detonator in one of his gloved hands and a camera in the other.

**XxX**

"You are unable to rid yourself of these restraints?"

Raven nodded, a spark of fear crossing her otherwise stoic features. Her handcuffs, which were beginning to cut into her wrists, were not responding to her powers what-so-ever. Giving a sigh of mixed annoyance and exhaustion, she bathed the intrusive objects in dark energy yet again, every bit of her soul searching for a weakness in the seemingly indestructible objects.

"It's not possible. The molecular structure is too dense for me to rip them apart with sheer force, and there are no weak points or openings that I can pinpoint and exploit." Raven sighed, her head dropping slightly from exhaustion. Ever since the two had heard the explosion a minute ago, they'd been trying ceaselessly to free themselves. Raven had quickly found herself to be drained, her mind far too preoccupied to be able to use her powers fully. That meant no levitation and, even more unfortunate, no teleportation.

Starfire slammed her hands down hard on the ground, forming a small crater underneath where the handcuffs impacted. The cell they were being held in wobbled slightly from the force of the impact, though very little of the damage inflicted was to the handcuffs.

"Are you able to knock the door down? Maybe we can escape first, then get rid of the handcuffs." Raven suggested, Lifting her head from its hung position. "If we don't get out of here soon, we're going to be stuck."

"Even if I were to destroy the entryway, it would do us little good." Starfire grunted, glaring down at her handcuffs as her eyes flared green. "The restraints are very heavy. I doubt you will be able to lift them should we escape, and I will not be able to carry you without my ability to fly. We shall be stuck here, until when I can not say."

"So, you're saying we need to be rescued?" Raven asked, earning a stiff nod from her companion.

"It may hurt to admit so, but we are left with no other options. Until one of us is able to break these vile contraptions, we must rely on others."

"What others?" Raven asked, desperation slipping into her monotone unbidden. "We're on an alien ship about to take off. Right now there's a better chance of being hit in the head with a flying elephant than being rescued."

Just as the words had left the empaths' mouth, a loud crunch could be heard outside the cell, a scream of pain audible not a second later. The scream quickly grew louder and louder, until a single Gordanian soldier slammed back first into the cell door, leaving a large dent in the cold metal.

"Oooowwww…No! NO NO NO! Not the face! Anything but the face! Noooo-"

Starfire instinctively took a step back, dragging the immobile Raven back with her, as the door was quite literally blown off its hinges. It sailed over the girls' heads, slamming into the back wall with enough force to wedge it into the crater that it created.

The Gordanian soldier, presumably the one that had been screaming, flew through the air, landing with a thump a few feet in front of the girls. He looked like he had been through hell, half of his scaly body covered in scratches and bruises, the biggest easily discernible on his forehead. With a sniffle, he opened his one un-swollen eye, letting the moisture that had been building up escape as he stared towards his captives.

"An elephant hurt my head!" The Gordanian soldier cried up at them…literally.

Ignoring the sobbing alien at their feet, Raven and Starfire looked up at the newly destroyed doorway, feeling their jaws drop in the process. In the middle of the corridor stood a jade green elephant, unconscious Gordanians littering the walls beside it. As they watched, the elephant shrank down, its front legs changing back into arms as the tusks withdrew into his face. Before long, a teenager stood where the large animal once did, a look of annoyed anger on his face.

"Oh, walk it off." Beast Boy growled at the sobbing Gordanian, marching his way into the cell. Without looking at the girls, he walked over to the Gordanian guard - who was still mumbling in between his sobs from the floor - kicking him once across the side of the head.

"OW! I'm telling Trogaar!" The Guard screamed up at Beast Boy, only to receive a second, much harder kick across the face.

"Damn resilient bastards…" Beast Boy grunted, his injured leg threatening to collapse underneath him. Turning to the two other occupants of the cell, he let an easy grin spread across his face, despite the thin trail of blood that was running from the corner of his mouth.

"Miss me?"

"That was…" Starfire began, looking down at the unconscious Gordanian at her feet.

"Excessive?" Raven finished, her eyes fixed on the massive, bleeding gash across Beast Boy's stomach.

"They'll get over it, I'm sure." Beast Boy responded, carelessly kicking the guard out of the way with his uninjured leg. Kneeling down in front of Raven, he took her arm in one hand, immediately feeling her tense up beneath his touch.

"I don't have any fancy lock picking equipment." He explained to the Gothic girl, whose cheeks had taken a slightly pink tinge, "so you're gonna have to stay really still, alright?"

"You plan on removing these restraints?" Starfire snorted, holding her handcuffs up in a mocking gesture. "I wish you luck, human."

"I don't need luck." Beast Boy informed her, his hand a blur as he swiped it across the handcuffs. "And I'm not entirely human."

A second later, three large gashes appeared on their surface, each being a few centimetres deep. Within the blink of an eye, identical marks had appeared on Starfire's handcuffs, the Tamaranian's eye widening as the wind generated from the swing whipped her hair across her face.

"Damn." Beast Boy muttered, glancing down at his gloveless hands. "Looks like these things are tougher to crack then the rest of this ship."

Raven gulped inaudibly, her gaze stuck on the razor sharp nails of the boy in front of her. They looked sharp enough to cut through diamonds, and after what he'd just done to the handcuffs, she had no doubt that they probably were.

"Will that be enough for you two to free yourselves?" Beast Boy asked, snapping Raven out of her trance. "Because I've actually lost a fair bit of blood, so it's probably only a matter of time before…I…Uh oh."

Beast Boy swayed slightly on his feet, his injured leg finally giving out from underneath him. Crumpling to the ground, his head connected harshly with solid metal for the umpteenth time that day, his ears barely registering the sounds of the girls tearing the handcuffs apart with their respective powers.

"Oh, one more thing." Beast Boy mumbled, feeling Starfire pick him up bridal style. Ignoring he humiliation burning within his chest, Beast Boy shifted slightly, looking up towards two concerned faces. "The explosion earlier? That was the engine. So, there's every possibility that we're about to sink."

Beast Boy laughed lightly at the shared look of shock on the girls faces, the pain in his body slowly being replaced with the blissful darkness of unconsciousness.

Allowing himself to be dragged to sleep, Beast Boy's body relaxed, a small smile spreading across his lips. He wouldn't have been able to stop it if he tried.

He'd saved them. They were going to be alright.

Though, now they needed to save him.

"I fear he is…damaged." Starfire commented to Raven, as both girls began running towards the door.

Raven merely grunted, a small smile spreading across her face as she turned to look at the injured boy in the alien's grasp.

**XxX**

"Sir, we appear to be under attack."

Trogaar groaned, a single hand against his forehead. "Are we Captain? Are we really?"

"Sir, I am unaware if you are making an attempt at sarcasm or not. Please elaborate."

"Yes, Captain. Yes we are under attack." Trogaar growled, the hand against his face balling into a fist. "Please do tell me, what was your first clue? Was it our warning lights going off? Was it the screams of all the troops outside? Or was it perhaps the GIANT SHARK THAT FELL FROM THE SKY AND DETROYED PART OF MY PRECIOUS SHIP?!"

"Am I allowed to choose all of the above, Sir?"

Trogaar slammed his head onto one of the armrests of his chair, his fist landing forcefully on his knee. Just as it impacted, the ship shook violently, the slowly blinking lights immediately being joined by a loud siren.

"Sir! We appear to have lost our engine!"

"Oh really?" Trogaar hissed sarcastically.

"Yes, Sir. Awaiting instructions."

"I don't care." Trogaar moaned, raising his head slightly in order to slam it down again. "I've had it with this planet. I really don't care anymore."

"Roger, Sir. Proceeding not to care."

Trogaar raised his head again slightly, sending an ice glare in the direction of his second in command. "Why are you so stupid?"

"Are you making another attempt at sarcasm, Sir?"

Trogaar groaned once again, one hand forcefully connecting with his forehead. "No, no I wasn't."

"It is my duty to inform you that I don't care, Sir."

**XxX**

"Do you see them anywhere?"

Cyborg shook his head, raising the binoculars to his face yet again.

"Damn." Robin muttered, a scowl spreading across his face. "We only have this boat for another fifteen minutes! Where are they?!"

"Man, I stole this boat. Since when do we have a time limit?" Cyborg asked, handing the binoculars to the scowling former sidekick.

"Since I became uncomfortable committing a crime." Robin muttered, accepting the binoculars with a stiff nod. "Are you sure this is where the ship went down?"

Cyborg looked back towards the shore of the city that he had called home for the last few weeks, before nodding. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. We just gotta keep looking."

"I just want to know that they're alright. I should have been on that ship; I should have been able to do something!" Robin growled, slamming his free hand against the side of the small boat they were standing on.

"Relax man! There was nothing we could'a done! All we can do is find them, they'll be alright. Stop beating yourself up over it."

"I'm a hero. That's what I do." Robin muttered, scanning the surface of the ocean around them. "I just wish we had a sign, or something."

Cyborg nodded mutely, tapping the screen on his arm. After the two of them had seen the ship falling, they'd run directly for the docks. Finding an unoccupied boat had been a much appreciated stroke of luck, and hotwiring it had been a simple matter for the man made out of gadgetry. Fighting against the waves the ship had made when it was sinking had been exhausting, as had forcing Robin to stay on the boat, rather than jump out and try looking for them beneath the water.

In his state, he would end up drowning. Specialised training or not, he was still only human. Besides, Cyborg was almost entirely certain that the pretty redhead was the main reason for Robin's anxiety. He'd be sure to tease him about it endlessly afterwards. If he saw him again, that was.

And if the girl had even survi-

"There!" Robin suddenly cried, an arm stretched out over the waves. "They're over there!"

Cyborg's head snapped back up, his newly repaired mechanical eye zooming in as much as possible. Just as Robin had said, he could easily make out three figures, all of whom were resting on the small island that had been used to plant the gargantuan hologram device.

"I can have us over there under a minute."

Robin merely nodded, a small smile spreading across his face as he felt the boat begin to pick up speed.

**XxX**

"Yo!"

Starfire and Raven glanced up from Beast Boy's sleeping face, just in time to watch Cyborg trip over a stone near the shore. The large teen hit the sand, cursing the entire way.

"Argh! Stupid stone, you little motherfu- Hey!"

Robin pushed past Cyborg, sending the robot sprawling back down to the beach. Yelling obscenities after the spiky-haired teenager the entire way, he pushed himself back to his feet, sprinting up the coast faster than his damaged body would have suggested possible.

"We been looking all over for you! Are ya'll alright?" He called, slowing down as he neared them. The only persons' face that he could see was Robin, and the clear concern in his features made the robotic man speed up once more.

"What's wrong?" He asked, before catching sight of the unconscious Beast Boy. Immediately, Cyborg was on his knees beside him, scanning across his entire body.

"How long's he been out?" He asked, turning towards the closest person, who happened to be Raven. She merely shrugged, though her eyes never left the green boy.

"About ten minutes. His injuries have been healing on their own, but he won't wake up."

"What about Trogaar?" Robin asked, his eyes travelling towards Starfire. She immediately looked away, glancing towards where the Gordanian ship had sunk.

"We did not cross paths with him. Every enemy we came across had already been defeated."

"'Had already been defeated'? What do you-" Robin said, stopping himself midsentence. Turning his head towards the smiling Beast Boy on the ground, his face cracked into a small smile of his own, his eyes widening slightly behind his mask.

"Knew there was something about you, kid." Cyborg mumbled, tapping a few buttons on his arm. A second later he stood, gaining the full attention of the entire group.

"He'll be fine. He's just tired."

"He's sleeping?" Robin asked incredulously, whilst Raven and Starfire both let out small sighs of relief.

"He's resting, man. He just took on an entire spaceship full of aliens and won, I'd say he deserves it." Cyborg said, gazing out towards the bay. The water had calmed, small ripples being all that remained of the hectic waves that the alien ship had caused.

"Heh…thanks dude…" Beast Boy mumbled, slowly opening a single eye. Cracking a grin at the looks of relief that passed across the groups faces, he laughed lightly, his largest fang poking out of his mouth for the first time in months.

Tiredly, his laughter ceased, his other eye popping open slightly as well. He could see them all, crowded around him as he lay on the rocky ground.

Robin, sporting a genuine smile that was barely more than a smirk. Cyborg, whose grin left him looking like someone had hit him in the face with an axe. Raven, whose eyes seemed to sparkle with her tiny smile, her hood hanging forgotten behind her head. Starfire, who had both hands clasped in front of her, her grin seeming to light up the entire island.

His family, finally reunited.

"Dudes…" Beast Boy muttered, feeling his eyes close as beautiful unconsciousness began to claim him once again. Half asleep, he found himself smiling, as his body slowly began feeling lighter and lighter. For whatever reason, he knew that all their eyes were on him, forcing him to force his own open for a few extra seconds.

"We should totally do this again sometime!"

With that, Beast Boy's body relaxed, the sweet recesses of Dreamland once again claiming their latest victim.

** XxX**

"You failed."

The man cried out again as the electricity coursed through his body, his various metallic implants threatening to give out.

If they did, he would die. They all knew that.

"I…I didn't know that it would happen!" He gasped out, his body shuddering violently. The dark figure before him cocked their head to the side, a humourless laugh passing their lips.

"Your operative failed his mission. He was to take out the green boy, and make it look like an accident. Tell me, how many Gordanians perished?"

"I…I'm not sure." The man gasped, bracing himself for yet another shock.

It never came.

"All of them."

"All of them?"

"I will not repeat myself for you. Now I want you to tell me, how many green boys died today?"

The man groaned, partly from the intense pain he was in, partly from the treatment he was receiving, and partly from the obvious insults to his overwhelming intelligence. "None."

"Exactly. Normally for such a monumental failure, you would be disposed of like the trash you are. However, you are lucky."

The man flinched, his head raising slightly. "L-lucky?"

"Yes. It appears as though my master has need for your…abilities. He has another job for you, and this time you will not fail. Understood?"

The man nodded quickly, sweat flying from his forehead. "I understand."

The dark figure nodded once, a sinister smile spreading across its lips. "Good. Your target is in Jump City. Once you arrive, you shall receive further instructions."

The man nodded again, mentally thanking every single lucky star he could think of. "I'll leave right away."

"You do that. Oh, and Brother?"

The man paused, turning back to the dark figure in front of him. "Y-yes?"

"Do not fail again. My master will not be so kind next time, should you do."

The man gulped silently, nodding rapidly in response.

"Good. Now begone."

**XxX**

Hey hey hey, what'd you think?

Well, I've got a couple of things to say here, so I'll get right to them.

First off, Congratz to Mr. Guest (I still love that username, seriously), Zinnia99 (I'll give it to you, you were close enough) and LiumD (Again, close enough) for correctly guessing (or almost) megalodon for the first animal!

Also, well done Zinnia99 a second time for figuring out that it was indeed The Beast!

I'm really sorry though, I ate all your imaginary cookie prizes. Now I'm going to get imaginary fat, then nobody will imaginary love me, and then I'll imaginary die alone with my imaginary cats!

Just kidding, all that will happen even if I didn't eat them.

Alright, secondly!

Kamikazamikamizaki24 (nailed it), you mentioned something about it being understandable that Beast Boy and Raven would not find interest in one another, and I completely agree with you. However…no.

Beast Boy and Raven has forever been my favourite ship. They are light and dark, day and night. Hell, they're complete opposites.

And that is why they're perfect together.

Their relationship is _interesting_. There are not many authors out there who seem to realise this, but it really is. There are so many possibilities to explore (such as what would happen between them if Beast Boy were to travel back into the past when he's a shit load stronger). It's not always 'Oh, I luv rave. whn did tht hpn lol' Or 'I cnt luv bb ys u cn lol sht up noleg nd luv u stoopid.'

Yeah, there are some people who actually upload fics like that. It's abysmal.

Getting back on track, they are my favourite couple. You can go so many different directions with it, even if one is overwhelmingly popular.

I hope that answers your questions, because I'm going to stop here before I insult someone and their ship. Because trust me, it will happen.

Alright, apologies for the A/N. I'm sorry for boring you all, my little X-Dressers!

But even so, before you leave why not drop a review? I'd love to get some feedback on the chapter; I spent a lot of time on it!

Till next time!

Peace!

_**X**_


	5. Chapter 4 - Sudsy Storm

Greetings and salutations, my dear X-Dressers.

So, a new update. It took me a little longer than I originally thought, not to mention it's probably the shortest chapter as of yet, but oh well.

I think it may be time to calm the fic down a little, seeing as up to this point it's been basically non-stop action. Also, there is a bit of a time skip since the last chapter. I'm telling you now in order to prevent confusion.

You're welcome.

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Teen Titans, but then again I can't draw for shit, so it's probably a good thing I don't.**

**XxX**

_Chapter four – Sudsy Storm  
_

"Beast Boy! Hurry up, we've got training in ten minutes!"

"I know, dude!"

"If you know then why are you choosin' now to take a shower?"

"It's routine, Cy!" Beast Boy called, his sensitive ears picking up the sigh of annoyance that followed his proclamation. "I can't just break routine!"

"Whatever, ya weirdo." Cyborg called back, his heavy footsteps already making their way down the corridor. "Just don't take too long, you know how Rob gets."

"Yeah, dude." Beast Boy yelled, one hand already below the faucet as the other turned the tap. Cupping both hands below the torrent of heated water, Beast Boy brought his face down to the sink.

With a single, unanimous flick of both wrists, Beast Boy briefly held his breath. Feeling the water hitting his face, he instinctively closed his eyes, his nostrils scrunching together in order to guard against any intruding liquid. Raising a hand to his now damp face, he wiped the water away from his eyes, rubbing the last of the sleep away from his consciousness.

"Much better." Beast Boy mumbled to himself, taking a moment to flash a toothy grin towards his own reflection. His hair, which had been unfortunate enough to be caught in the deluge of tap water, was now glued to his forehead, some of the longer strands stretching down to obscure his vision.

Swiping a towel from the cupboard below the sink, Beast Boy carefully hung it from the hook on the back of the bathroom door, pausing for a moment to ensure that he remembered to bring along a spare uniform to change into. Satisfied, he stepped towards the shower, one hand reaching for the taps.

_'Wait.'_ A small voice sounded from the back of his head, causing Beast Boy to freeze in his tracks. Cautiously, he threw a swift look over his shoulder, only to find the bathroom door still shut and locked securely. Raising his nose to the air, he sniffed once, his brain working to decode the various scents from one another.

Soap, metal, a little bit of mould.

Nothing distinctly human or Tamaranian. He was alone.

So why did it feel as though he were being watched?

Beast Boy took a step away from the shower, his eyes darting from wall to wall. He couldn't see anything out of place, nor could he smell whoever was supposedly intruding on him.

"Where are you?" Beast Boy mumbled, his eyes raking across every inch of the room. Turning back towards the shower, a small flash of light caught the edge of his eye, his entire body turning towards the abnormality automatically.

Nothing.

Beast Boy frowned, his eyebrows scrunching down in thought. His eyes didn't normally let him down, and try as he might he couldn't ignore the annoying buzzing in the back of his head.

It was almost as though the many animals coursing through his veins knew something he didn't.

Shifting into a dragonfly, Beast Boy approached the wall slowly, his compounded eyes slowly moving from left to right. Buzzing up to the ceiling, he flew sideways, his superior eyesight scanning each centimetre of marble individually.

_'Tile, tile, tile, tile, lens, tile…wait!'_

The small green froze mid-flight, the miniature cogs in its brain sparking dangerously. Within the blink of an eye, it had flitted back less than ten centimetres, its sights set on the tiny, inconspicuous protrusion.

_'But who would have put a camera in the bathroom?'_ Beast Boy wondered to himself, resuming his human form as he hooked a single fingernail behind the intrusive object. With a casual flex, the camera was lying face up in his hand, the puny wires that had been used to anchor the infinitesimal device to the wall completely severed.

Beast Boy turned the object over in his hand, barely feeling the weight of the device against his palm as it moved. The back of the camera was completely black, apart from a strange yellow pattern. Rotating the camera in his hand, Beast Boy tilted his head slightly, the brightly coloured letter finally making itself apparent to his vision.

"Is he kidding me?" Beast Boy muttered, gazing down at the yellow 'R' on the recently destroyed camera. Shaking his head, Beast Boy closed his fist, feeling the camera break apart in his firm grip.

"I'm going to have to talk to him about that." Beast Boy said to himself, opening his hand. The remnants of the camera rained from his recently uncurled fist, small flecks of metal and wires falling to the impeccably clean floor.

It wasn't the first camera Beast Boy had uncovered, and chances were that it wouldn't be the last.

Stepping back towards the shower, Beast Boy reached in, one hand turning the taps as the other tested the water. Finding a suitable temperature, Beast Boy nodded to himself, tugging his shirt over his head and throwing it to the floor.

Tugging his pants down, Beast Boy's eyes travelled back to the destroyed camera, his mouth twisting into a thoughtful frown. The camera had been faced away from the shower, towards the door.

So Robin wasn't trying to perv on the girls.

_'Or the boys.' _ Beast Boy's mind added in, causing the boy to snicker quietly.

Who knew? Maybe his infatuation with Starfire was all just a cover-up.

_'Still though.'_ Beast Boy thought, sliding his boxers down his legs and kicking them towards the pile of his recently discarded clothes. _'It's been three months. He should at least trust us enough to let us use the bathroom in peace.'_

Stepping into the shower, Beast Boy shivered, his mind drifting back to his paranoid leader as he adjusted the temperature of the water slightly.

Robin had been remarkably similar to how Beast Boy had last seen him, apart from the fact that last time he'd been a shattered statue. Beast Boy could still remember fondly how the Titans had formed the first time around. It had taken a little getting used to; suddenly living with four other teenagers who they'd just met. Their personalities had clashed repeatedly (sometimes painfully), and yet through it all they had remained the best of friends.

Even so, none of them had really reacted how Beast Boy would have predicted.

Robin had always been a mystery to Beast Boy. The youth had never taken his mask off, even going so far as to sleep wearing it. His real name had never been disclosed, nor had his favourite food. Nothing about his personal life, apart from his massive crush on Starfire, had ever really come to light. Beast Boy had expected him to shut himself away from the world, busying himself over paperwork or obsessively plotting out the next obstacle course the Titans would use to train.

Surprisingly, he had done neither.

The Titan leader had been remarkable open with his new friends, even going so far as to tell them his real name about a month ago, after they had all finished watching a movie and had wanted to kill some time before going to sleep.

Beast Boy couldn't help but chuckle, remembering exactly how Starfire had reacted to that precious piece of information.

_"I do not understand, why would your parents wish to name you after the male reproductive organ?"_

The battlefield had been a slightly different story. Being the only two Titans with any experience in combat, Beast Boy and Robin would normally find themselves alone in battle, the other three not having a clue what to do. They'd rapidly been improving, though every now and again someone would slip up and get caught in some form of danger. Of course, any time Starfire would be the one to get hurt Robin would always end the fight quickly and mercilessly, often with the villain in question begging for prison.

Squeezing some shampoo into one hand, Beast Boy absently turned the tap with the other, his mind still far away from the shower.

Why did Starfire end up getting hurt? She was from another planet, which according to her own stories was frequently torn apart by war. She'd probably been trained from a young age to be a warrior, to show absolutely no mercy and to decimate opponents.

_'That's probably why.'_ The rational part of Beast Boy's brain piped up_, 'mercy is new to her, she's still adjusting how viciously she fights.'_

Beast Boy nodded dumbly to himself, his eyes almost seeming glazed as he stared intently at the shower wall. His brain was right, probably.

Whilst the girl hadn't been as different as Robin, there were still noticeable changes in her behaviour. Frequently, Beast Boy would often walk past Raven's door, only to hear Starfire babbling on about something in a dramatically hushed whisper, as if she were talking endlessly into a pillow.

When had she and Raven become that close? Beast Boy didn't know. Maybe it was inevitable, with the two of them being the only girls in the tower. Maybe something had happened on the Gordanian ship. He'd had many different theories, though none of them had lasted more than a few days at most.

_'Probably gossiping about Robin.'_ Beast Boy's mind offered, earning a grunt in reply. After all, it was entirely possible that was the case.

Every time Starfire had a new question about Earth culture, or Earth food, or Earth physics, she would always seek out the guidance of the Titan leader. Whenever the team would be watching a movie, the two would always be in the centre of the couch, sitting a lot closer than two people who were 'just friends' would. In battle, they were always watching each other's backs, never once letting an enemy get close to harming the other.

_'They're closer than Cy and I are, and that's saying something.'_ Beast Boy mused to himself, stepping back to wash the shampoo out of his hair. The two were incredibly close, that much was obvious to everyone.

Though only the two in question didn't seem to realise just how close they actually were. Still, that wasn't new.

"BB!" Cyborg barked randomly, his ridiculously loud knocking startling the green teenager out of his thoughts. "You have three minutes! Any longer and Raven has already agreed to portal you into the training room, clothes or not!"

"No she hasn't!" Beast Boy called back, shutting the water off temporarily to wait for a response. From beyond the door, he could hear Cyborg mutter a curse, one hand tapping rapidly against the wall.

"Fine! She hasn't! But if you don't hurry up then Robin will find a way to convince her!"

"You got it, dude!" Beast Boy yelled, waiting until Cyborg's footsteps were no longer in earshot before turning the water back on. Fiddling with the taps, he drew it closer and closer to the desired temperature, his thoughts once again leaving the shower; drifting closer and closer towards the teenagers he called family.

Cyborg was by far the Titan he was closest to. The mechanical teen himself had once told him, before the Brotherhood incident, that he was the first person to ever accept him, metal and all. At the time, Beast Boy had simply shrugged him off, not believing a single word the larger boy had said.

After all, who wouldn't have accepted _Cyborg_? He was totally awesome! He could shoot lasers and rockets, not to mention pick up and swing a building. What wasn't to like about him?

Beast Boy frowned, tilting his head to avoid letting the water enter his eyes. Cyborg hadn't corrected him, waiting for months before even mentioning just how horrible his past had been, before he met the Titans.

Why had Cyborg never told him? His own brother, more or less.

Beast Boy shook his head, clearing the negative thoughts away. He'd been a kid back then, an idiotic fourteen year old that, no matter what, always held on to a ridiculously vast amount of optimism for every little thing in life.

Cyborg wouldn't have wanted to ruin that by forcing him to face the truth. Not when it could be avoided.

But did that mean Cyborg thought he was too weak?

Beast Boy's head connected with the cold wall, a dull ache spreading from the point where his skull connected with the cold tile.

No, Cyborg would never have assumed he was weak. Would he?

He was nowhere near the mechanical teen himself or Starfire when it came to strength. Robin could easily defeat him if it ever came to hand to hand combat. Not to mention Raven.

Beast Boy felt a shiver run down his spine, despite the fact that he was currently situated under a torrent of close to scalding water.

Raven, with the devil himself being her father. Raven, whose abilities could probably surpass that of the most powerful in the Justice League.

Raven, the key to the apocalypse. The apocalypse that the Titans would end.

If he ever found himself in direct combat with her, he'd be lucky to return in less than three pieces.

Beast Boy brought a hand to his face, rubbing the forming bruise on his forehead as he reached for the conditioner. He'd made an honest attempt this time around to do everything right. Meticulously making sure that he never mentioned anything that had yet to happen on his second trip through this particular section of the calendar.

And yet, Raven seemed…different.

Apart from Starfire's haphazard visits, she still spent most of her time alone within the confines of her room, which seemed to have been decorated with the intent of scaring any nosy teammates away. She still rarely smiled, even when the rest of the Titans would be in hysterics around her. She still read book after book, barely tearing her eyes away from the pages long enough to acknowledge everyone else's existence.

And yet, she seemed more…open.

Beast Boy wasn't stupid. He may have experienced a fair bit of ignorance in his youth, but that trait was quickly vanishing as the changeling grew older. He'd been aware, even as a fourteen year old, how annoying his constant jokes and pranks had been for Raven, not to mention the rest of the team.

Even so, he never once let up. He was having way too much fun to do that.

This time around, however, he'd rapidly discovered that where an unrelenting tirade of lacklustre jokes had failed repeatedly, intelligent conversation was overwhelmingly successful.

Beast Boy smiled, memories of his last conversation with the resident empath flashing to the forefront of his mind. He could still clearly remember the look on her face, as he simultaneously captured her king and confessed his favourite poem to her.  
_  
"You've read 'The Raven' by Edgar Allen Poe, right? Oh, by the way, checkmate."_

The way her eyes had widened and her jaw slackened had reminded Beast Boy of the first time he'd beaten her in a game of chess. It had been a month into the forming of the team, and had also been one of the first times Raven had ventured out of her room without prompting.

**XxX**

_"Where did you learn to play like that?" Raven had asked, her eyes wide as she stared down at the table. Her book of poetry all but forgotten, she had leant over the board, counting the amount of black pieces still left standing._

_"I've had a lot of practise." Beast Boy shrugged nonchalantly, eyeing the white pieces on the board, which he had insisted Raven use._

_"Against who?" Raven had asked, her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared across the table, almost as though she were trying to see the his words in the air, and determine whether they were true or not._

_Beast Boy swung his legs around his seat, his feet landing silently on the ground. Brushing himself off, he lightly picked up Raven's book, pretending not to notice as her eyes flashed red briefly._

_"A telepath." He answered, secretly savouring the brief look of confused shock that flitted across the purple haired girl's face. "This looks interesting. Mind if I borrow it?"_

**XxX**

Beast Boy giggled, washing the last of the conditioner from his hair as he reached for the soap. He'd learnt quite early on that getting a reaction out of the half-demon was incredibly fun, especially when it wasn't immediately followed by a sharp pain and water filling his lungs.

Still, he couldn't ignore the feeling that there was something he was missing.

Apart from him, they were all physically identical to their past selves. They walked, talked, and acted exactly the same. But there was definitely something there, something that he could see in their eyes (or in Robin's case, body language) that was different to him.

The way they looked at him, there was something different, something that hadn't been there back when he was still shorter than Robin. It made him feel as though he were…important. As though he were respectable.

Beast Boy's mind clicked, his head shooting involuntarily up into the centre of the luxurious water. The way Robin and Raven would address him, sometimes even the way Starfire and Cyborg would talk to him. All of them, their eyes and bodies speaking truths that their mouths never would.

Beast Boy frowned, washing the last of the soap off of his body. The suds flowed down his legs, circling the drain before ultimately disappearing from his sight.

_'I suppose I can't really blame them.'_ He mused, sighing as he shut the water off. _'I didn't really give them much reason to respect me back then, even as a teammate.'  
_  
Stepping out of the shower, Beast Boy grabbed his towel, momentarily swinging it around his shoulders as he grabbed his toothbrush. Reaching for the toothpaste with one hand, Beast Boy grabbed a corner of his towel in the other, raising it towards his hair.

"BB!" Cyborg hollered disrespectfully, slamming a metal fist against the bathroom door. "You're out of time, and I ain't dealin' with Robin! HURRY UP!"

Beast Boy jumped, momentarily loosening his grip on his towel and toothbrush. Sending both objects to the ground, Beast Boy placed the toothpaste gently beside the sink, silently willing his heart to calm down.

He'd been so deep in thought, he'd completely missed Cyborg's approaching footsteps.

He could almost feel the many animals that shared his body laughing mockingly at him as he bent down to pick his towel and toothbrush up.

"You hear me, B?" Cyborg called, his voice betraying his concern as he rapped the door with a single mechanical knuckle.

"Uh, yeah dude!" Beast Boy called back, abandoning his toothbrush as he began to dry himself off. "You just surprised me, I'm fine."

"Alright." Cyborg said, his shrug almost finding a way into his voice. "But Robin wants you in the training room, like, yesterday. So move it!"

Beast Boy rolled his eyes, rubbing the towel across his arm as Cyborg's footsteps grew fainter and fainter. Finally satisfied with the level of liquid that remained on his skin, Beast Boy transformed, his body becoming furry as his arms slowly devolved into legs.

The green Chihuahua padded across the floor of the bathroom, coming to a stop directly over the centre of the recently abandoned towel. Shaking its body violently, water began flying in every direction, coating everything that wasn't covered with the towel in droplets of the cooling fluid.

Resuming human form, Beast Boy stretched his arms above his head, kicking the towel towards the pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room. Sliding his boxers and pants over his legs in mere seconds, he grabbed his top, making sure to turn the light off as he walked out into the corridor. Throwing his top over his head, Beast Boy took off at a brisk run, all thoughts turned towards making up an excuse in order to avoid punishment for his tardiness.

**XxX**

"Where is he?"

Cyborg shrugged, one hand tapping furiously on the screen in his arm.

"I dunno, man." He informed his irate leader, grunting slightly as he rapidly pressed out another command, "I'm going through all the cameras in the tower, but I'm not seeing him anywhere."

To anyone watching, it would look as though he were searching zealously throughout the tower for his missing teammate.

To anyone who could see the screen, it would look as though he were playing the original Mega Monkeys, utilizing his built in super-computer in order to emulate the classic game.

"This is the third time this week he's been late!" Robin growled, his eyes darting towards the calendar on the wall. "And it's only Wednesday!"

"Maybe he just thinks you work us too hard?" Raven offered, her face a mask of complete disinterest as Robin turned to glare at her.

"We're here to protect this city, training every day is essen-"

"I'm here!" Beast Boy called, finally managing to slip his arms through the sleeves of his uniform as he skidded into the gym. "I'm here! What'd I miss?"

"Nothing. At all." Cyborg interjected hastily, shutting off his game as Robin's face began to redden with anger. "In fact, you're just in time. Let's start!"

Ignoring Robin's spluttering, which had become almost second nature to him, Beast Boy began walking towards the treadmill, making sure to wish a good morning to each Titan as he passed. Pretending he didn't hear Raven's comment of "It'd be better if we weren't in here," Beast Boy climbed on to the treadmill, a single hand reaching towards the control panel on the front.

Before he could make contact with any of the buttons, the alarm began blaring, the gym being bathed in a chilling red glow.

"Trouble!? It's seven in the morning! Who creates a ruckus when it should already be illegal to be awake!?" Cyborg complained loudly, grunting as he heaved his specially designed, ludicrously large weights back into their normal position.

Robin pulled his communicator out of his utility belt, flipping the screen open with a single flick of his wrist.

"It doesn't say. But that doesn't matter."

Robin tucked the yellow device back into the abyss of technology around his waist, already turning to face his team. Removing the boxing gloves from his wrists, he raised a single hand to the sky, one finger ascending above all the rest.

"Titans, GO!"

**XxX**

And yeah. Told you it was a little shorter than average.

That's what she said.

Nothing really to add here, other than this story has averaged ten followers per chapter. And considering romance isn't one of the listed genres, and there won't be much of it until much later?

That's a lot of followers for (technically) four chapters. I seriously appreciate all of you who read this.

Alright, I've a headache so I'll be heading out now. Leave a review, my precious X-Dressers! I love the feedback.

Peace!

_**X**_


	6. Chapter 5 - Mistaken Malevolence

Bonjour, chers lecteurs!

Took me a while to get this chapter out to the general public, I apologise greatly. This story has been giving me hell recently, which is also why I apologise for the short length.

I'm so sick and tired of apologising for my short length.

Oh yeah, at the moment I'm actually accepting prompts to write into one-shots, which you probably already know if you've read The EX Files. I've got a poll up on my profile for the next prompt that will be written, and any votes are appreciated.

You can also leave me a prompt. It's alright; I don't bite…unless you want me to.

Alright, this is getting creepy. Let's just get to the chapter, shall we?

**Disclaimer: TT no own by me.**

**XxX**

_Chapter five – Mistaken Malevolence_

"You are _unsure_ of their abilities!?"

Deep within the confines of an abandoned warehouse in downtown Jump City, two men stood at opposite ends, each glaring at the other with rivalled amounts of contempt.

"Now now." The masked man chided, shaking his head at the other occupant of the depository much like one would a disobedient child. "I have the utmost faith that your _operatives_ will encounter no issues during the accomplishment of _my_ goals."

"You're sending three children to do battle with the Teen Titans!" The other man yelled accusingly, his hood slipping slightly from his head. One eye blazing a dangerous shade of red from the shadows provided by his attire, he took a single step forward, hands clenched at his sides.

"Yes." The masked man replied, his single remaining eye never leaving the agitated form of the man facing him. "Surely you believe they are capable of success?"

"You realise what this will do to my reputation should they fail, yes?"

"Be calm, Brother." The masked wearing man sighed, his companion flinching slightly at the use of the name, "the task I have had them do is very simple. I've no doubt that even your subpar lackeys will be able to fulfil my… request."

"They are students, not lackeys!" The hooded man snapped, his arm beginning to transform under his sleeve. His hand folded back, the gears in his arm spinning rapidly as piece after piece of technology moved into place. Bringing his newly formed sonic cannon up, the masked man looked on, seemingly unimpressed by the display.

"Your request could very well be leading them towards an early grave!" the hooded man accused menacingly, the single red eye beginning to glow even brighter as energy gathered at the tip of his arm.

"You know as well as I that the Teen Titans don't tend to kill their enemies." The masked man stated coolly, his single remaining eye never leaving the threatening limb.

"Leaving them alive is a far worse punishment." The hooded man yelled, his arm beginning to emit a high pitched hum. "You don't seem to understand how things work!"

"At ease, old man." The masked man almost sighed, his hand slowly making his way down his belt, unbeknownst to his associate. "The world is slightly more modern than that these days. Maybe you are simply past your prime?"

The hooded man growled, taking another step forward as the masked man extracted a small piece of metal from his belt. With a flick of his wrist, the retractable pieces of hard alloy leapt from their hold, the man swinging the collapsible staff into a defensive position.

"I'm not that old." The hooded man snarled, bringing his clawed hand up to rest on his arm, steadying the limb as he levelled the weapon towards the masked man's face.

"You're going to shoot me?" The masked man inquired, his voice carrying his amusement as the staff slumped slightly in his grasp. A hearty laugh escaped his lips as he slammed his staff to the ground, the end easily penetrating through the concrete that covered the floor of the warehouse.

The hooded man didn't bothering answering; with a roar of fury, a red beam of pure sound was flying through the air, the full force of the attack on a collision course with the masked man's face.

The force of the impact kicked dust from the ground, the hood of the malicious mechanical man flying from his cranium as he squinted through the light of the miniature explosion.

"Is that the extent of _your_ abilities?"

The once hooded man's eye widened, the sickeningly smooth voice almost burning his ear as he turned towards the sound. Before he could make a full rotation, a long staff had jabbed into his back, high voltage electricity coursing directly through it, into the man's metallic body.

The once hooded man screamed in pain, his arm transforming back from the sonic cannon. Dropping to his knees, the staff left the once hooded man's back, various parts of his body emitting putrid black smoke as blazing red portions of his limbs began to dull down to a lifeless grey.

"Pick your battles, old timer." The sickly charismatic man sneered, folding his staff back into the belt around his waist. "We may have been forbidden from fighting, but I will not hold back the next time you attack me."

The once hooded man growled in annoyance, waving the smoke away as he shakily pulled himself to his feet.

"Now then." The masked man stated, acting as though nothing had happened. "Have you completed your secondary objective?"

The once hooded man glared at the masked man with unhidden contempt, his mouth spitting out words, as though leaving a vile aftertaste. "Yes. The girl's mind was twisted, yet incredibly easy to control. She will make for a perfect slave."

"Excellent." The masked man cheered sardonically, clapping his hands together as he turned away from the once hooded man. "For now, the plans do not require her. Perhaps you should keep her for now? She may make for an excellent student at your academy. She'd fit right in; having been brainwashed into believing that you are a person worthy of respect."

"You're too gracious." The once hooded man snarled sarcastically, his body beginning to regain its signature crimson glow. "And what of your more personal plans? How do my students fit into those?"

"All in due time, headmaster." The masked man chuckled, turning his back on the glowing man as he made his way towards the large doors of the warehouse. "You could really stand to open some of the curtains in here, Mr Blood. After all, you could use a little sunlight."

Brother Blood grunted, turning away from the man, towards the assortment of computers that had been set up for him within the temporary hideout.

No matter how long he would be forced to work with the masked assassin, he would never get used to his constant shifting moods.

Damn bipolar bastard.

The loud slam of the warehouse door awoke Blood from his daydream, the absence of another person confirming that the masked man had left.

With an irritated sigh, Blood made his way to the various computers set up against a wall of the warehouse, each screen showing a different security camera's perspective. Settling himself within the padded chair in front of the largest monitor, his body was bathed in the eerie pale glow of the machinery as he began typing.

**XxX**

"You brick brained moron!"

"What did I do?"

"What did you do!?" Gizmo shrieked, his annoying voice reaching octaves generally not within the boundaries of his gender. "We've been setting up this ambush for those crud munchin' Titans for the last three hours, and you set off an alarm!"

"I was hungry!" Mammoth defended, subconsciously hiding the sandwich he'd pilfered from a nearby gas station behind his back.

"You had five servings at breakfast!" Gizmo yelled, four mechanical legs bursting from his backpack. Raising himself to Mammoth's eye level, Gizmo poked him once in the cheek, his face red from over-exertion of breath.

"You know how long it took for me to hack those cameras?" Gizmo whispered… 'dangerously'.

"Should I?" Mammoth retorted, bringing his newly acquired meal out from behind his back.

"What's going on here?"

Alarmed, Gizmo whirled around, almost slamming a metallic spider leg straight into the side of his third teammate's head.

"Gah! Don't do that!"

"I'll do as I please." Jinx replied, straightening up from ducking under the offending limb. "What's that noise?"

"This moron," Gizmo growled squeakily, gesturing towards Mammoth, "set off an alarm when he decided to get a snack."

"Ugh, seriously?" Jinx groaned, turning to face Mammoth, who at least had the decency to stop chewing as his teammate addressed him.

"I was hungry!"

Wiping the spray of crumbs from her face, Jinx sighed, turning towards the less stupid of her colleagues.

"Is there a way for you to turn the alarm off?"

"Yeah, but the Titans will still be on their way." Gizmo announced, hands returning to the odd remote that never left the front of his jumpsuit. With a click of one of the button available on the device, the grating whine emanating from the now abandoned gas station halted, the street becoming silent once more.

"How long do you reckon we have?" Jinx inquired, throwing a cautionary glance over her shoulder.

"Freeze!"

"Not very long, apparently." Gizmo quipped, turning along with his allies to face the just recently arrived super heroic quintet, Robin shutting off the engine of his motorcycle as he leapt from the seat.

**XxX**

_'I can't wait until Cy gets around to building the T-Car.'_ Beast Boy complained silently to himself, doing his best to ignore the consistent thrum of Robin's motorcycle below him. The green boy had elected to take the form of a bald eagle, joining the girls as they took to the skies, along with Cyborg, whom was currently being carried by Starfire.

Movement caught the edge of the green bald eagle's eye, causing him to turn his focus to the right. Utilising the animal's excellent sense of sight, Beast Boy could easily make out three bodies, two of which appeared to be conversing whilst the largest stood off slightly to the side.

_'Well this'll be easy.'_ Beast Boy lamented, resisting the urge to roll his avian eyes. _'Here I was expecting a challenge, and it turns out we're going up against The H.I.V.E.'_

"Titans." Robin's voice came through the communicator concealed within the confines of Starfire's short skirt, easily audible for all, even above the rushing winds. "They're going to be around this next corner, so everyone get ready!"

"We shall, friend Robin!" Starfire declared, whilst below her Cyborg's arm rapidly shifted into his infamous sonic cannon.

"Good." Robin grunted, severing the connection as he accelerated around the last obstacle between his team and the threat to his city.

Picking up speed, the rest of the Titans began descending, passing the corner just in time to hear Robin announcing their arrival, complete with an unnecessary gymnastics routine.

"There goes stealth." Raven muttered to herself, Beast Boy giving the equivalent to a laugh in response. Swooping down to the ground, Beast Boy transformed, his wings morphing into muscular legs, the talons of his feet growing into feral claws as fur burst from every inch of green skin. Beside him, Cyborg landed on both feet, his impact leaving small indents as he levelled his signature weapon at the opposing youths.

"This is your only chance to come quietly." Robin warned, crouching low as he pulled an explosive disc from the abyss of technology that was his utility belt. Beside him, Starfire's hands lit up with green energy, whilst ebony magic began dancing around Raven's fists.

"Not a chance, Boy Blunder!" Gizmo declared, a large cannon appearing in his hands as though from thin air. Without wasting any time to charge, a bright beam erupted from the tip of the weapon, chunks of concrete being ripped from the ground as the offensive energy barrelled across the street, directly towards the black shield that Raven had erected.

"Attack pattern Alpha!" Jinx ordered, leaping quickly to the side. Mammoth copied her actions, leaving Gizmo alone where they once stood.

Mechanical legs retracting into his backpack, Gizmo hit a button on his ever present remote, wings bursting from the confines of his titanium treasury. Activating the boosters on his device, he shot forth like a bullet, hordes of small energy blasts flying from the specialised firearm attached to the fun-sized villains forearm.

"Titans, dodge!" Robin ordered rather unnecessarily, leaping to the left. Morphing from lion to hummingbird, Beast Boy took to the skies alongside Raven, leaving Cyborg and Starfire to dive to the right.

"Bad choice." Mammoth grunted from behind the super strong duo, causing both Cyborg and Starfire to whirl around. Before either of them could act, Mammoth lashed out, catching them both across the stomach with a single leg. The force behind the hit sent both Titans flying, Starfire righting herself in mid-air, managing to catch Cyborg before he crashed into the side of a building.

"Damn it!" Robin muttered under his breath, dodging around a pink hex bolt as he eyed the injured forms of his teammates. Lashing out once again with his staff, Robin deflected Jinx's latest attack, doing his best to ignore the various explosions going off above his head as Raven and Beast Boy evaded missile after missile.

"Having trouble?" Jinx mocked, cartwheeling away as Robin pulled an explosive disc from his belt. "Mammoth, now!

"Let's see if the Birdie can fly." A gruff voice behind Robin announced. Whirling around, Robin brought his staff up, just in time to feel the impact of Mammoth's fist directly against his stomach.

The power behind the blow forced Robin's feet from the ground, the Boy Wonder flying across the entirety of the street before slamming harshly into an already partially crumbling building.

"Dude!" Beast Boy called out, briefly reverting back to human form as he neared the ground. Landing on all fours, he leapt quickly to the side, dodging around the rocket that had been aimed directly at his back as he made his way towards his injured friend.

_'We're facing The H.I.V.E here, right? Shouldn't we have already won by now?'_

"Friend Robin!" Starfire called from the air, changing directions rather suddenly as she began swooping down towards the ground.

"Worried about your boyfriend?" Gizmo sneered, darting in front of Starfire as she neared the planet's surface.

Starfire halted her advance, her eyes lighting up a nuclear shade of green as she stabbed the air in the little person's direction with her finger.

"You are not nice!" Starfire roared, a starbolt forming in her hand as she glared at the smirking mini-villain. "Please remove yourself from my path, or I shall make you!"

"Oooh, touchy." Gizmo cackled, his large cannon once again in his hands. Before Starfire could even think to react, the bright beam had caught her directly in the face, the starbolt in her hand dissipating as she began to plummet back down to Earth.

"There goes another one." Jinx observed, her cat like eyes flashing pink as a wicked smirk adorned her features. "I thought you Titans would be tougher than this!"

"We are." Raven said dryly, sending another car flying towards the other pale sorceress. Behind her, Beast Boy leapt over another of Mammoth's wild swings, Cyborg having been forced from the battle by a wildly thrown hex bolt, which had almost decimated both his arm and leg on impact.

"Doesn't seem like it." Jinx laughed, cartwheeling to the side as the car dented the street where she once stood. "Mammoth, again!"

"Not this time!" Beast Boy snarled, shifting into a gorilla as Mammoth let a fist fly directly towards Raven's head. Growling ferociously, the green ape wrapped both arms around the large teenagers waist, forcing him away from his teammate as he stumbled backwards.

"Let me go, you stupid monkey!" Mammoth growled, struggling against the iron-grip of the green furred animal.

_'I'm an ape, not a monkey, dipshit. And he called me stupid.'_

Beast Boy growled, his arms tightening around the criminal in his grip.

If it were anyone else, he'd probably have broken at least a few ribs by now.

"Oi, Gizmo!" Mammoth roared, swiping blindly behind his back as the green animal continued to subdue him. "I could use some help here!"

"Stop thrashing!" Gizmo called, his cannon aimed towards the back of Beast Boy's head. For the third time in the last five minutes, a bright beam burst forth from the weapon, the air surrounding them seeming to hum with energy.

A grin slowly spread across Beast Boy's face as he allowed his arms to drop to his sides, his body shrinking down into that of ferret. The bright beam of energy passed harmlessly over his head, sending Mammoth tumbling to the ground as the beam connected with his spine.

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one?" Beast Boy taunted as he resumed his human form, grinning up at Gizmo's shocked face.

"Says the idiot who just turned his back on an enemy."

Alarmed, Beast Boy spun around, only to be met with Mammoth's oversized boot. The blow caught Beast Boy in the chin, his head snapping back as he was sent flying across the street. Crashing headfirst into a billboard, Beast Boy passed painfully through the oversized advertisement, leaving a large hole in the space a man's head should have been.

Slamming harshly in the side of a building, Beast Boy cracked one eye open, his current position leaving him nothing to look at, other than the sky and the recently destroyed billboard. The rest of the man's body was covered in bandages, with block letters reading 'HEALTH INSURANCE' situated directly beside the handles of the wheelchair the unfortunate soul was trapped in.

_'Oh, the irony.'_

Struggling to his feet, Beast Boy looked up, his neck cracking painfully as the bone clicked back into place. Forcing his legs underneath himself, his sights set on the flying form of Raven, her cloak smoking slightly as the landed in a heap near the rest of the Titans.

"That wasn't that hard." Mammoth commented, turning to his two smirking teammates. "Didn't he say this would be a bit more difficult?"

"Yeah." Gizmo agreed, pulling the large cannon from his backpack once again. "This thing is awesome! And I even get to keep it, how cool it that?"

"We've got a job to finish, guys." Jinx reminded them, turning to face the injured Titans. Grinning maliciously, Jinx brought a single hand to her face, pink energy beginning to spark from her fingers like electricity. Beside her, Gizmo had his cannon pointed at the ground in front of himself, a grin mirroring her own plastered across his face. Mammoth cracked his knuckles, a slight laugh escaping his lips as he stared down his prey.

"Like hell."

"Oh?" Jinx raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at the snarling green teenager. "You're still awake?"

"Nah, sleepwalking." Beast Boy spat, ignoring the pain in his chin as he lowered himself into a fighting stance.

"You reckon you can take us all on?" Gizmo scoffed, turning away from the Titans, all of whom were staring wide-eyed at Beast Boy.

"You'll just have to find out the hard way." Beast Boy growled, his eyes flickering over to his teammates for a brief second, before returning to those of his foes.

"Your funeral." Jinx shrugged, conjuring a large hex bolt in one hand. "Gizmo, let's do it!"

"Ha, looks like the pet is gonna be the first one down." Gizmo smirked, training his weapon on the street in front of Beast Boy's feet. "Fine by me."

Without a word, Mammoth leapt high into the air, Gizmo firing his ruinous cannon barely a second later. The blood red beam hit home, several cracks spreading across the street as the energy entered the tarmac.

Clapping her hands, Jinx threw her arms wide, waves of pink hex bolts shooting forward. Entering the road in front of her, the magic quickly went to work, the ground rapidly loosening as the destructive energy separated the molecules from one another.

"Hope you like it rough!" Mammoth yelled gleefully, his bulky form crashing devastatingly into the already wrecked street. Bringing both arms forward, he slammed both fists into the ground, layers of asphalt and soil crumbling to rubble as the massive shockwaves spread across the land. Beast Boy brought both arms up, his already exhausted body easily succumbing to the raw power of the wind slamming against him. Dropping to his knees, he didn't so much as move as the ground below him finally gave way, sending him plummeting to the murky waters below.

"BB!" Cyborg yelled, attempting to struggle to his feet, only to have his injured leg give way, sending him crashing back to the ground. Beside him, Raven gasped, her eyes widening along with Robin's. Starfire, the cannon's beam having temporarily robbed her of her sight, looked around in confusion, her many question falling on deaf ears.

"Raven." Robin gasped out, hand still over where Mammoth's fist had connected with him. "Can you teleport us back to the tower?"

"We're not running away!" Cyborg yelled vehemently, still trying to force his mechanical body to function as though half his limbs weren't almost completely destroyed. Beside him, Starfire laid a single hand on his metallic shoulder, tears leaking from eyes that couldn't observe the situation.

"We don't have a choice, Cyborg." Robin rasped, wincing as he sat up slightly. "We can't win in this condition, and they haven't stolen anything. We're their target, and something tells me they don't want us just knocked out. We need to regroup."

"What about BB?" Cyborg demanded, shrugging Starfire's hand off his shoulder as he glared at his leader. "What are we going to do about BB?"

"Beast Boy will be fine." Robin said, giving Cyborg a look that dared him to prove him wrong. "I don't think that's enough to take him out, and neither do you. Raven, now!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Jinx announced, her hex bolts already flying through the air.

It was already too late; The Titans had all disappeared into the ground, the only thing left behind being Robin's signature metal staff, which lay forgotten beside the destroyed portion of building.

Gizmo lowered his cannon, disappointment written all over his face. "Damn it. Now what are we supposed to do?"

"I'm thinking lunch?" Mammoth offered, his proposal going completely ignored as Gizmo turned to the third member of his team.

"What are you looking at?"

Jinx didn't answer, her eyes remaining locked on a structure in the distance. As her partners watched on, a smile slowly crept its way onto her face, her eyes seeming to sparkle in the early morning sun.

"We've still got a job to do."

"Huh?" Gizmo grunted, his mechanical spider legs unfolding from his backpack. "What are you talking about?"

Raising a hand, Jinx pointed out towards the ocean, determination lighting a fire within her eyes. "We've still got a job to complete, if we want to be hired for real."

Confused, Gizmo descended to his teammate's height, following her finger with a sceptical look, which had soon morphed into a malicious smile.

"We're talking about that?"

"Yep." Jinx confirmed, a smile gracing her lips as a hex bolt sparked to life in her palm.

"Titans Tower."

**XxX**

Alright, I'll say now this chapter was so bloody forced. Reading through it again, I absolutely hate it, but I'm not rewriting it.

I'll knock two questions that I'll no doubt get out of the way right now, so here goes.

Why did Beast Boy not completely destroy The H.I.V.E? He wasn't taking them seriously, giving them the element of surprise. This also relates to the second question I'll get, which is why was The H.I.V.E so violent and so focused on ending the Titans lives?

I tried to keep the characters close to the cartoon, which basically means writing The H.I.V.E gives me nothing but three blank slates, all of which have violent natures due to their work. In their first episode, they have no personality, basically the only thing distinguishing them is their powers. Other than that, they're pretty much identical. No character development what-so-ever. They were doing a job, and that job was killing the Titans. They were more or less child assassins.

The next chapter is already planned out, but given how difficult writing has been lately I can't promise when I'll get it out. Once again, I apologise for this chapter being so utterly bad at everything, but right now it's the best I can do.

Also a special thanks to CheeseJellyBean for giving me a hand with this chapter, albeit unknowingly. A few of the comments you made were actually very useful, so…uh…yeah. Thanks.

Check out her?…his?…their story as well, which is titled 'Getting Greener'. It's an excellent fic, and it focuses on Beast Boy just like this one. Personally I think it's better than this story, but this ain't a competition!

Mostly 'cos I know I'd lose.

Alright, thank you for reading, my glorious X-Dressers! Till next chapter!

Peace!

_**X**_


	7. Chapter 6 - Destructive Tendencies

Fucking. Shit.

This took FAR too long to write. And it's not even that good. Seriously, I think I would have found stirring dry cement easier than writing this.

It's too fucking late for fan fiction, so this chapter has gone unedited. If you see a boo boo or an oopsies feel free to tell me, I'd rather fix a mistake than leave it and look like an idiot.

I may also be in the market for an artist and a beta reader. More info on that next chapter, when I actually get around to writing it. So maybe in a month or so.

Oh yes, one last thing before I forget. Special thanks go out to Shadico and Green Bunny, who were rather helpful with the creating of this chapter. Y'know, motivation and all that jazz. Both are spectacular authors as well, so I suggest checking them out.

Alright, let's ignite this shitstorm. Whatever that means.

**Disclaimer: Notice I didn't type 'this I claim'? Yeah.**

**XxX**

_Chapter six – Destructive Tendencies_

Beast Boy awoke with a groan, the putrid smell of whatever was surrounding him forcing his eyes open almost immediately. His uniform was completely drenched, and his jaw felt as though he'd been hit by a train, and then maybe attempted to take a bite out of it.

Mammoth, of course. He'd had his ass handed to him with ease, and it'd only stopped after they'd knocked the ground out from underneath him.

Where was he? An underground lake? No, that couldn't be right. Beast Boy had never been to any lake that reeked this bad. Not to mention he was underneath the city…

'_Oh, shit. Literally!'_

Scrambling to the edge of the rivulet of waste, Beast Boy hoisted himself out of the 'water' with newfound strength, collapsing onto the mostly dry ground face first.

'_Ow. Alright, no more hitting the face. Or anything, preferably.'_

Raising his head slightly, Beast Boy began fishing through his pocket, his hand connecting with far too much questionable slime before finally grasping the object of his desires. Dragging his hand in front of his eyes, he let out a frustrated groan as the two crushed pieces of what used to be his communicator cluttered to the floor in front of him.

_'Shit. There goes calling the others. And GPS.'_

Punching a fist into the ground hard enough to leave a dent in the concrete, Beast Boy heaved himself to his feet, collapsing against the side of the sewer almost immediately. Stars were appearing in front of his eyes, his stomach beginning to spin from both odour and pain.

'_Ah, crap. This hurts.'_

Experimentally prodding his jaw with a finger, Beast Boy winced as he felt the lump that was already beginning to swell, the empty spaces that used to hold teeth feeling strange against his cheek.

"They'll grow back." Beast Boy muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut. His stomach was on the verge of exploding, dancing stars slowly morphing into a dazzling inferno.

Beast Boy opened his eyes, one hand gripped tightly within his hair whilst the other lay across his heaving stomach. His head was beginning to ache, a dull thud beating its own rhythm down to the base of his neck.

Bile found its way through to his throat; Beast Boy lurched forward, hands flying to the ground to steady him as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the murky water before him. He may not have had any form of food yet today, but he was almost certain he could see some of last night's dinner, floating serenely off away from him.

_'I need a breath mint. And another shower. Probably two showers, come to think of it.'_

Beast Boy's hands managed to find purchase on the wall, the green boy hauling himself to his feet. Looking down towards the raw sewage not a meter away from him, he shuddered, his body morphing into that of a small rat as he began making his way down the tunnel.

_'There's no way in hell I'm staying there any longer, and the others are going to need me.'_

They'd been injured, that much was obvious. Robin would have ordered their retreat, and the others would comply, albeit not wholeheartedly in agreement with their leader's decision.

He knew his team.

And he also knew what The H.I.V.E's next target was going to be.

Ignoring the metronomic stabbing of pain within his skull, Beast Boy continued down the dark tunnel, one eye glued to the dirty liquid beside himself at all times, making sure his direction was true. If he was correct, there was a hole easily big enough for his body to fit through somewhere within the city.

Then again, this was Mammoth. The hole could probably fit his body in the form of a sperm whale.

Morphing quickly from rat to pigeon, Beast Boy took to the air, making his way up beside the waterfall of waste that ended the tunnel. The drop was a good five meters at least; probably the reason his entire body was covered in most likely contaminated water.

Switching back to the small form of a rodent, Beast Boy turned a corner, light slowly coming into view as he began running slightly faster. Leaping to the air, wings erupted from the rat's small back, a hard exoskeleton coating his rapidly shrinking body. Reaching his target, the small green fly began ascending, passing by utterly destroyed concrete on his way through to freedom. Looking down, his already compounded eyes almost popped out of his head, the insect's flight faltering slightly as the scene filled its tiny brain.

That hole was _massive_! Easily stretching from one side of the street to the other. Various piles of shattered debris, some originating from the neighbouring buildings, littered the street. Law enforcement, as well as the fire department, had cordoned off the area, people in uniforms standing diligently as they prevented the ever growing crowd from getting any closer to the gaping hole.

_'Holy shit.'_

Barely registering the change from bug to bird of prey, Beast Boy quickly soared into the air, ignoring the gasps as began making his way over the city, towards the sea. All pain in his body momentarily forgotten, he allowed himself to rise higher into the atmosphere, his head barely gazing the undersides of the jet black storm clouds as he began his journey over water.

Last time, Beast Boy had lost his home, and almost lost one of his friends. They'd all almost lost their lives in a tidal wave, and the only thing stopping them from giving up was the timely arrival of Robin.

Beast Boy began to descend towards the large alphabet shaped tower, his keen eyes taking note of the destroyed entrance. He couldn't see anyone in the surrounding waters, nor were there any modifications in the structure of his home.

Good. He wasn't too late.

There was still hope.

**XxX**

The large obsidian orb of magic quickly vanished, Raven lowering her arms as her eyes swept over the injured forms of her teammates. Robin, his pride forcing him to stand and walk on his own, despite most likely having at least a few broken ribs. Cyborg, parts of his body destroyed as he leaned heavily on Starfire's shoulder; acting as the young alien's eyes as he guided her towards the rarely used front door of the Tower.

"To the left a bit…" Cyborg muttered lowly, Starfire nodding in acknowledgement as she moved in the indicated direction. "Forward… here's good. Thanks, Star."

"It was no trouble, friend." Starfire's voice was just as low as Cyborg's, her usually joy painfully absent as she released the mechanical man's arm from her grip.

Cyborg gave no indication that he'd heard her, laying one hand against the scanner beside the door. The small device beeped once, Robin limping forward to push the gargantuan metallic portals open. With a single glance towards the darkening skies, he had disappeared inside; his course set one of the chairs that had been left in what acted as the tower's foyer. Wordlessly, Cyborg turned to the door, dragging his damaged foot behind him as he made his way towards one of the many boxes scattered across the room.

A jagged bolt of electricity lit up the inky sky above Raven's head, thunder shaking the ground beneath her feet not a moment later. Feeling the first of many drops of water impacting against the purple hood concealing her hair, her feet left the floor, one hand reaching out to steer Starfire towards the door, the alien's eyesight having not yet fully returned as she stood alone in the gathering rain.

The large doors closing behind them, Raven spared a glance towards her two present male teammates. Robin's eyes had yet to move from the window beside his seat, his face lighting up every time a searing bolt of lightning tore through the sky. Cyborg, having apparently retrieved all the required replacement parts from the many boxes scattered around, was currently seated against the opposite wall, his one functional arm hard at work attaching the spare limbs he'd unearthed.

Feeling the familiar sensation of cold air against her palm, Raven spared a brief look towards her side, watching as Starfire began approaching the still form of Robin, hands gripping her own arms, like a small child would a security blanket. At least the girl's vision was returning back to normal.

Or she was relying on Robin's scent in order to track him down.

Raven almost snorted at that particular thought, smothering the crass noise with a series of fake coughs. As far as she knew, Tamaranians were not gifted with enhanced senses such as those. Besides, deducing location via scent was Beast Boy's job.

Beast Boy…

"Friend Robin?" Starfire inquired, her voice nervous enough to invoke the attention of everybody in the room. Hearing Cyborg set his wrench down to the ground behind her, Raven turned away nonchalantly, the heroine's words providing the perfect distraction from her own chaotic thoughts. "You are…unharmed?"

"Nothing's broken, if that's what you're asking." Robin replied, his attention shifting from the window to his concerned teammate. Hauling himself from the chair, he winced slightly, one hand instinctively swooping down to splay out across his chest.

"Something may be a little bruised, though." He joked half-heartedly, forcing a smile onto his face as Starfire frowned slightly. "I'll be fine soon. What about you, though? How are your eyes?"

Starfire took a step back as Robin leaned towards her face, tilting his head slightly, examining her injured eyes. Concern written all over his features, he nodded to himself slightly, turning away to gaze back out towards the sky.

"We should be looking for Beast Boy." Cyborg announced, gaining everyone's attention as he began testing his new limbs. "We shouldn't just be sittin' here."

"We will." Robin promised, his face shifting into a neutral expression as he kept his sights set on the stormy sky outside. "We can't search in our condition; if we're attacked again we're sitting ducks."

"That doesn't matter!" Cyborg said, his voice beginning to rise as he began walking towards the door. "What if he needs us?"

"Robin's right." Raven interjected quietly, causing the half-robot to stop in his tracks as he turned to her. "Starfire still can't see properly, and Robin's movement is restricted. I used a lot of my energy in our last battle, and you'll need time to adjust to your new limbs."

"We should still-"

Raven held up a single hand, silencing the taller hero. A flash of lightning cast the room in an eerie glow, a rumble of sound accompanying it not a moment later.

"This is Beast Boy we are talking about. Chances are Robin will see some form of green bird advancing towards the tower at any moment in time."

Without warning, the large doors before Cyborg gave a small beep, the sound of even footsteps making their way towards the passageway easily discernible.

"Told you." Raven stated dryly, suppressing a smirk as Cyborg rushed right past her floating form, his steps faltering slightly as he excitedly made his way towards the barrier standing between himself and his surrogate brother.

"BB!" He hollered at the top of his lungs, a grin spreading across his face as he slid to a halt in front of the doors. Just as quickly as it had come, the happy glint in the large boy's eyes had vanished, as the doors were forced open with a powerful explosion, catapulting him in the opposite direction, soaring towards where his friends had quickly gathered.

With a simple hand gesture, ebony magic coated the entirety of Cyborg's body, the robotic human being guided safely to the ground beside the empath. Beside them, Robin lowered himself into a fighting stance, all pain in his chest forgotten as a starbolt flared into existence within Starfire's hooked palm.

A low chuckle whispered through the veil of dust that used to be the tower's doorway, three shadows becoming easily visible as they took their first steps within the confines of Titans Tower. A burst of pink energy erupted suddenly from the cloud of debris, the haze of destruction being brushed effortlessly away by the influx of magic.

"Oh no." Cyborg breathed, human eye widening as the familiar forms of The H.I.V.E were made visible for all in the room.

"Oh yes." Jinx sneered, a smirk finding its way onto her face as she held a hand up, pink electricity dancing atop her fingertips.

"Titans…" Robin breathed, his voice too low to be heard by the sudden intruders, "We need to separate. As soon as I give the signal, split up and make your escape. Use the tower to your advantage if you can."

"We're running?" Cyborg growled, thankfully remembering to keep his voice low enough to avoid having his words detected.

"We have no choice." Robin muttered, his mask briefly widening as Mammoth began charging the group, a wicked grin adorning his face.

"Titans, now!" Robin shouted, the smoke bomb in his hand already slamming against the floor. A thick cloud of white smoke erupted from the Titans leader's feet, Mammoth stumbling back in surprise as his vision was suddenly obscured by a wall of white.

"You think you can get away that easily?" Jinx called, flicking her wrist towards the slowly spreading cloud of thick gas. The pink burst of magic quickly expanded, the cloud of foggy smoke effortlessly being dissipated by the winds generated from the attack.

Mammoth retreated quickly, making his way to Jinx's side like a loyal pet. The Titans were nowhere to be found, the only evidence of their hasty escape being the ruptured case left behind from Robin's 'distraction'.

Jinx clicked her tongue in annoyance, her eyes sweeping across the room. From her viewpoint alone, she could easily make out over a dozen means of vacating the room, even more if she considered the many openings in the roof, no doubt designed for fast travel.

"Split up!" She ordered, turning to her two teammates. "This place is huge, we'll never get them if we're all together. If you find one, you know what to do."

The two boys nodded, each scurrying to exits on opposite ends of the room. Mammoth, not bothering with anything as trivial as doors, smashed directly through the wall, leaving a gaping hole in his wake as he charged down a silent hallway.

Gizmo's mechanical spider legs retracted into his backpack, wings bursting forth as he sent numerous small explosives towards his own side of the room. Snickering at the scene of devastation that used to be a doorway, twin boosters sent a stream of flame out behind the young boy; his feet leaving the ground as he followed in what he hoped would be hot pursuit.

Jinx rolled her eyes, calmly pressing a finger against the button parallel to the door she had chosen. With a gentle hiss, the sturdy metal gave way, the room flashing momentarily behind her as yet another bolt of lightning cleaved the sky.

"Boys." She muttered as the doors closed behind her back, plunging the corridor in darkness. "Always so destructive."

**XxX**

Cyborg planted his feet into the ground beneath him, throwing all of his available weight to his right. All around him, walls and windows were shattering, pink energy swirling around him in a maelstrom of magic. Skidding around a corner, he threw himself to the ground, narrowly avoiding yet another chunk of ruined tower that had been sent careening towards his skull.

Rolling to his feet, Cyborg brought his arm around, his sonic cannon at the ready. All around him, pieces of his precious tower were falling to the fractured floor, waves of magic being intercepted in mid-air by beams of sound.

"Stay still!" Cyborg demanded, leaping to the side as a wave of magic punctured the ground where he stood not a second earlier, cement and steel falling down to the level below.

"Take your own advice!" Jinx countered, a grin across her face as she sent another wave of pink magic towards her half robotic opponent. The attack caught the hero across the arm, smoke beginning to pour from his elbow as the bad luck began rapidly eroding the metal away.

Cyborg grimaced in pain, his sonic cannon involuntarily shifting back into a regular arm. Beside him, the window burst into a shower of clear shards, Jinx's grin only seeming to widen as she observed the boy before her.

Cyborg glanced from left to right, everything else forgotten as observed his surroundings. As far as he could see, he had three options. None of which appealed to him greatly.

He could charge the sorceress in front of him, hoping that he could build up enough momentum on his still questionable leg to knock her out, or at the very least get past her. He'd also have to avoid innumerable blasts of magical power, each with the ability to literally tear him apart. Not to mention his opponent had proven herself an accomplished gymnast, who didn't even need to bother aiming her weapons.

Cyborg gulped silently, a small bead of sweat beginning its descent down his forehead as he observed the glowing eyes of his enemy.

He liked being in one piece. Option one was out.

The window right beside him was shattered, giving Cyborg an excellent view of the blackened skies, along with the monstrous waves that had begun to slam against the banks of the island. If he managed to acquire enough speed, he could possibly land in the water after jumping. If not, there was always the possibility of building and attaching wings mid-fall.

No, his leg was more or less mangled; there was no way he was getting any air out of jumping. And there was no chance he'd reach the water from the height he was currently at.

Besides, he wasn't a fucking idiot. Option two was a no go.

Cyborg risked a glance over his shoulder, taking his eyes away from the girl in front of him for a split second as he scanned the corridor behind him. There was no one behind him, and the computer that was his brain was screaming at him to exploit the tiny advantage.

With nary a thought, Cyborg had spun on his heel, his legs carrying him down to corridor as rapidly as they could manage. Choosing life over appeasing his curiosity, he refused his mind's request to spare a glance over his shoulder, focusing all of his energy on escaping, and hopefully running into one of his friends.

Because things would _really_ start sucking for him if he encountered another villain, right after escaping from the grasps of the one that appeared to be their leader.

So absorbed was Cyborg in his thoughts, that he failed to realise that a section of roof directly ahead of him had given out, the particular panel falling Earthwards, catching the unsuspecting teenager across the back of the head. Stumbling slightly, his imperfect leg finally gave out underneath him, sending Cyborg plummeting to the ground in an undignified heap.

A whole three meters away from where he'd started running.

"You'd probably be better off hopping." Jinx advised casually, pretending to examine her nails as she sent a wicked smirk in the direction of the fuming male before her. Holding a hand up, Jinx's smirk grew into a grin, pink energy surrounding her palms in their own miniature storms.

"Who are you!?" Cyborg demanded hotly, cursing under his breath when all attempt to move his leg failed.

He couldn't run. And at this point, there was no way he could win in a fight.

But he could hopefully distract the girl in front of him long enough for help to arrive.

Jinx's hand waved through the air, twin scythes of pink power impacting against Cyborg's shoulders. Cyborg could feel the magic spreading throughout his body, his arms popping painlessly out of their sockets as the girl giggled slightly.

"We are The H.I.V.E." Jinx explained, eyes full of mirth as she gazed down upon the almost limbless super hero beneath her. Igniting rosy sparks within her hand, Jinx brought her palm level with Cyborg's head, a seemingly genuine smile gracing her features.

"No hard feelings? I'll let you say some final words?"

Cyborg remained silent, his computer enhanced brain searching desperately through the inner tower blueprints. He couldn't move; giving him no chance at dodging whatever the sorceress had in store for him.

He couldn't have stopped the curse from passing his lips if he'd tried; the only defensive turret that had been set up in this particular corridor lay smoking, sitting merrily atop a pile of destroyed wall that used to house it.

"You want _that_ to be your last word?" Jinx snorted, her hand wavering slightly as she began laughing. The pink energy fluctuated wildly, though it failed to extinguish itself.

"Wha-whatever." She choked through her laughter, wiping fake tears from her face as she steadied her arm. "I'm not here to judge."

Cyborg remained silent from his position on the ground, eyes closed. Every part of his body was telling him to move, to run.

To fight. To live.

To see his younger brother again.

He almost snorted at the irony of the situation. Not five minutes earlier, he'd been furious at everyone; determined to track his teammate down and save him from whatever trouble he may be in.

And now here he was. Lying broken on the floor, a single leg being all that was left connected to his body. There was no way he could heave his metal body to his single foot, and even if he could there was no escaping the situation he was stuck in.

Unless he was aiming for the window, he wasn't going anywhere quickly.

He may have been beaten, but he still had his pride. And there was absolutely no way he would give his opponent the satisfaction of watching him struggle.

Jinx frowned slightly as she gazed down upon the unresponsive form of Cyborg. It looked as though he were purposefully ignoring her, despite the fact that she was quite literally holding his life in her hands.

He had guts. Maybe if the circumstances were different, they could have been friends.

Still, there was no point in dwelling within her thoughts. She had a job to do.

"Not gonna talk to me?" She inquired, rolling her eyes as Cyborg once again refused to acknowledge her. "Oh well. Nice meeting you too."

Cyborg felt the familiar rush of magical power, months of living with Raven making the sensation easy to recognise. The air had begun to feel heavier, pressing down upon his body uncomfortably.

_'Damn it. I'm sorry BB.'_

Lightning flared from outside, light pushing against Cyborg's eyelids as thunder quaked the tower. The sound of shattering glass came from above his head, the pressure in the atmosphere disappearing as Cyborg tensed up, waiting for the end to occur.

It never did.

Cracking his eyes open, Cyborg pulled his head from the floor, his mouth opening in surprise as he did so. A flash of green, a small thump, a teenager slowly making his way towards the neon blue limbs that littered the floor.

A purple and black uniform. A frown having stolen the place of a usual smile.

A drop of blood. A flash of pink. A bolt of lightning tearing apart the sky.

A steady stream of water falling to the floor. A familiar scratchy voice. A tired face poking through the darkness.

"You alright, dude?"

Cyborg didn't bother attempting to stop the tear from escaping his eye as he nodded. The boy before him gave a small smile, one hand reaching out to collect the appendages that had been separated from the half-robot's body.

"We'll put you back together, then we'll go help the others." The teenager said, brandishing a single fingered limb. "Though I'm not too good with robots, so you'll probably need to do all the work."

Cyborg nodded dumbly, barely blinking as his arm was brought back into place. Reaching for the broken remnants of his leg, he was stopped by a green arm, blood slowly dripping from what looked to be a deep cut.

"It's trashed." He said, shaking his head slightly. "I'll help you get another one. You need to take care of yourself better."

Cyborg snorted, letting the jab slide as he was pulled back to his feet, his surprisingly strong companion remaining true to his word as the metallic heroes body slumped against his arm.

Cyborg glanced down at his saviour, his mouth morphing into a large grin. He looked battered, bruised and cut, as though he'd had to fight through hell to get here. But there was no doubting who it was. Not with that green skin or those pointy ears.

He was safe. And he had saved him.

He'd protected them, and he'd survived.

Cyborg wouldn't have been able to shake the grin from his face if he'd tried. He was back, and he had given them a chance at victory.

Beast Boy glanced up at his smiling friend, deciding against saying anything as they limped down the corridor together. He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips as he turned the corner with his best friend in tow. It was just like last time.

Hope had returned with the last missing portion of their team.

**XxX**

Corny ending to this chapter, I know. I felt like being a bit dramatic though, because it's like three in the morning here and that's notorious for being a really stupid time to make decisions.

So, sorry if this chapter is a little confusing at the end. I'll think of something next chapter to make it more readable. Maybe.

Either way, I'm assuming the next chapter's contents will be easy enough to predict. I'll give you a hint, there's going to be a lot of fighting. Yeah, betcha never saw that coming.

Y'know, reading a few of the earlier chapters, I actually came across a couple of plot holes that I've yet to close. I'm surprised no one's picked up on those yet. No need to think twice before pointing out my dumbass mistakes. I'm a big boy, I can take a little constructive criticism.

People seem to enjoy the small challenges I leave on in the A/N's for some chapters, so here's another one! If you can guess why there is a storm in this chapter (no it's not just there for dramatic effect), you'll know a portion of the plot slightly ahead of time. I'd come up with a better shitty prize, but fuck that. Tired. Want sleep.

I know I probably sound like a review whore when I say this at the end of every chapter, but please leave a review! The thing is I'd never make it as a whore in real life so I need these to feel pretty.

I'm kidding, of course. I enjoy having the feedback, and knowing people care enough about your story to leave you some words saying that they enjoyed it, or didn't enjoy it, is a great incentive to write more and become a better author. Otherwise my excellent writing would devolve into some of the absolute crap that encompasses about 95% of this website.

Alright, I'm going to go to sleep before I offend someone. Not that I care, but it's difficult getting some Z's when someone is trying to bitch at you. So yeah, leave a review! Later nerds.

Peace!

_**X**_


	8. Chapter 7 - Rambunctious Renovations

Oi fuckfaces, I wrote the next chapter to this thing.

I apologise for the amount of time this chapter took. Like, not my sarcastic apology where I treat the person I've wronged like a dick. A sincere, I-don't-know-if-I'm-doing-this-right-because-I've-had-no-practice apology.

I've decided that I won't have a need for a beta reader. I mean, I can't honestly see that many benefits for inconveniencing someone else, because I'm good enough with grammar as is and I don't really need any extra motivation, I've got enough people to do that anyway. So thank you to the people that offered, but unfortunately it is all for naught.

Once again, there has been no editing done for this chapter. I've been typing for close to three hours now, I honestly can't be fucked doing any more. Just do me a solid and inform me of how much of a failure I am after you're done reading, yeah? Please and thank you.

Alright, let's fucking do this.

**Disclaimer: I'm running out of people to insult during these God damn things. Not to mention how boring they are. Like, I don't own Teen Titans. That's fucking obvious. Why do I need to tell you that? Were you dropped on your head as a baby? Did you eat too much paste or shove too many crayons up your nose? Fucked if I know, I'm just the author of this piece of shit story. The fuck are you still doing here? Go and read!**

**XxX**

_Chapter seven – Rambunctious Renovations_

"I'm gonna squash you!"

Robin leapt from Mammoth's back, the genetically enhanced giant crashing harshly into the wall of the hallway. Ignoring the small flecks of rubble that now decorated his shoulders, Mammoth once again charged at the Boy Wonder, arm bent back in preparation for a strike.

Robin fell to the floor, the punch sailing harmlessly over his head. Bringing his arms to his chest, he managed to block a brutal kick from the bulky teenager, the momentum behind the strike allowing him to flip back to his feet.

Ignoring the pain flaring across his forearms, Robin pulled his staff from his belt, extending the metallic pole with a flick of his wrist. Lowering himself closer to the ground, he leapt forward, easily landing a blow against his tree-like opponents head as he twisted around yet another punch.

"That hurt!" Mammoth yelled, stumbling back as he began rubbing his forehead. Glaring at Robin with slightly watering eyes, Mammoth brought his free hand to the floor, the devastating fist easily knocking the ground out from underneath his own feet.

Blocking a flying rock with his staff, Robin narrowed his eyes as Mammoth disappeared from view, cracks spreading erratically from the newest hole that littered the hallway. His body shaking lightly from fatigue, Robin took a step towards the gaping pit, staff raised threateningly before him.

Feeling the metal beneath his feet begin to shake, Robin leapt to the side, missing the ascending fist of the super villain by mere millimeters. Throwing his hands over his head, Robin rolled to his feet, his staff once again seeming to materialise in his hands as he brought it in front of his body.

"Quit moving!" Mammoth demanded, two meaty fists pulling his body up through the hole his last attempt on Robin's life had caused.

Robin held a hand to his chest as Mammoth climbed from the level below, grimacing at the pain that ran rampant through his body.

He'd been injured during the first battle against these people. And ever since they'd managed to get into the tower, he'd only been taking more hits.

Finally freeing himself of his own destruction, Mammoth straightened to his full height, a large grin on his face as he began cracking his knuckles. He looked completely fine; apart from the slight swelling above his face there was no indication that the walking brick had even been in any form of combat.

"Tired?" Mammoth taunted, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared down at the acrobat.

Robin growled lightly, the simple action causing a scorching wave of pain to wash over his ribcage. Mammoth's smirk only grew as he watched Robin wince, his footsteps ringing ominously through the corridor as he slowly began to advance on his wounded prey.

Robin spared a glance down the hallway, the piles of rubble from the fractured walls being all that inhabited the space apart from the two combatants. Swiftly bringing his staff up to block Mammoth's next kick, the force sent him sailing through the air, the resilient pole in his hands bending slightly as it absorbed the blow.

Robin landed with a crash, small flecks of spit leaving his mouth at his head made contact with a destroyed portion of the wall.

"Still standing?" Mammoth snorted, sounding highly amused as Robin struggled to his feet, his staff being used to support his weight as he dragged himself from the floor.

Resisting the urge to punch the floor in irritation, Robin pushed more weight upon his kneecaps, his slightly shaky legs stilling. Reaching for his utility belt, he searched blindly through, his memory being his only guide as his fingers wrapped around two smooth objects.

There was no way he was going to win this fight. That much would have been obvious for everyone. Maybe if he'd been gifted Starfire's strength or Beast Boy's versatility, he would have had a better chance against the brute before him. Hell, even Cyborg's armour would have been appreciated, considering the beating he had already taken at the hands of these teenage villains.

"I was hoping I would get to take on someone a little more challenging." Mammoth commented, his ape like face twisting into a sick grin as Robin glared up at him, "so maybe after I'm done with you I can find someone stronger."

Robin ignored the behemoth's words, drawing his hand towards the sky. Before Mammoth could react, the space that Robin had occupied was covered in a thick smoke, the window beside it seemingly imploding as vicious rain began attacking the interior of the tower.

As Mammoth stared, slack jawed, at the destruction, a hook attached to a length of rope rapidly ascended past the window, the cord tightening seconds later. Without moving, Mammoth watched as Robin appeared outside the window, a flash of lightning lighting up the sky as he continued to climb towards the heavens above.

The tiny wheels within Mammoth's skull began turning violently, smoke threatening to billow from his ears as he made his way over to the window. Squinting through the rain, his eyes followed the path that Robin had taken against the side of the tower, a cloak briefly visible before disappearing over the edge of the tower's roof.

Scowling heavily, Mammoth retracted his head, already making his way to the stairs at the end of the hallway.

No matter what, Robin's life would be his. He'd started the job, and by God, he was ending it!

"Still though…" Mammoth muttered to himself, not bothering to open the door to the stairwell as he crashed directly into it, effortlessly ripping it from its hinges. Growling slightly at the offending plank of metal, he began running towards the roof of the tower. Taking the stairs almost five at a time, he ignored what sounded like an infant child's shriek, all thoughts centred on the newest enigma he had encountered with his foes.

"No one told me Robin could fly!"

**XxX**

Beast Boy leant against the wall outside Cyborg's room, his ears flicking back and forth every second and his arms crossed over his chest. His teammate had locked himself away within his personal sanctuary a full five minutes ago, muffled buzzing and metallic creaks being all the evidence anyone would need of his activity.

_'Damn it Cy, hurry up! We don't have all day!'_

"You need a hand in there?" Beast Boy called, his voice echoing down the empty corridor. Behind him, the strange buzzing stopped, Cyborg grunting quietly before answering.

"Nah, I'm almost done. Just closing up any holes; I don't want them becoming a problem later."

Beast Boy hummed lightly, his gaze falling to the floor at his feet as whatever tool Cyborg was utilising came back to life. Doing his best to ignore the slight shaking of the tower, he clenched his hands, his sharp fingernails digging effortlessly into his palms.

He could almost smell the danger that his friends were in. All pack mentality that had been forcefully imbued within his skull along with the millions of animals was telling him to abandon his perch and help them. Blood was beginning to leak from his hands; small crimson puddles forming on either side of his feet as he glared at the floor before him.

He'd promised Cyborg that he'd wait until he was finished repairing himself. That he'd keep him safe. And no matter how incredulously the superhero had snorted when his little brother had said that, there was no way he would allow himself to move from his where he stood.

His friends had lost their lives once because of his failure. There was no way he would allow that to happen again.

It was for that reason that he'd ignored the low humming of the tower's main computer activating. That he'd deliberately steered Cyborg away from the corridor that the overwhelming scent of body odour and hair gel was wafting from.

It also helped that his arm was hurting like Hell, giving him a chance to deal with the distracting pain, as well as remind him why people weren't supposed to bust through windows with their skulls at half the speed of Mach one.

Why should he care, though? His bones were about as solid as diamond, not to mention his healing ability was a step below miraculous.

Such were the wonders of volatile D.N.A.

The fact that the only pain within his body was originating from a relatively pathetic wound on his arm was slightly amazing to him. Even more so than the amount of luck that had to have been present when he'd seen Cyborg on the ground through one of the tower's reflective windows, Jinx standing above him with an unnerving grin on her face.

"Uh oh." Cyborg said from behind the door, the buzzing halting as smoke began to rise beside Beast Boy. "That ain't good."

Beast Boy animalistic hearing appeared to fail him; the chromatically challenged child not even twitching as strange shades began glowing from within the room behind him.

_'Mento would be so disappointed.'_ Beast Boy mentally mused, his eye twitching as another wave of pain washed over his injured limb. _'I survive everything he can throw at me without a scratch, and a window manages to get me?'_

The tower beneath his feet shook with from unforeseen force, Beast Boy abruptly being pulled from his thoughts as he held out a hand to stabilise himself. The light seeping from below Cyborg's door had slowly begun turning a deep shade of red, though the fact seemed lost on Beast Boy as he frowned slightly.

_'The only ones who could do that are Starfire and Raven…or Mammoth.'_ Beast Boy glanced silently through one of the windows that decorated the corridor, the glow beneath Cyborg's door fading away the second Beast Boy was facing it.

Raising an inquisitive eyebrow as Cyborg sighed in relief, Beast Boy shielded his eyes, squinting through the intense light as he watched the sun lightly come into contact with the horizon.

_'How long was I out for?'_

"B? I…uh…I could use some help in here!" Cyborg called, the deep red glow reappearing beneath his door.

Beast Boy continued his prolonged glance out the window, his mind far away from the corridor of the tower that his body was occupying.

_'Last time, we'd already been kicked from the tower as the sun was setting. We're doing better than we were before.'_

"Seriously, B! I think the short one might have set up some sorta trap in he- Argh!"

Seeming not to notice as the light beneath Cyborg's door began flashing, Beast Boy watched as the closest star to Earth began sinking behind the waves, the various expletives falling from Cyborg's mouth creating the perfect background music for the beautiful display.

_'Nothing should be different, though. Mento said that nothing would change unless I personally had something to do with it. So why did today happen?'_

"Aw, damn it! I just fixed that limb! Alright, come here you little son of a-"

An almighty crash resounded from the Heavens above, Beast Boy instinctively leaping away as bits of recently destroyed roof rained upon his previous position. Noticing something with limbs and a uniform on a crash course with his feet, Beast Boy stuck his arms out, the cloaked figure impacting heavily against his chest as his upper limbs protectively encircled his assailant.

Alright, so maybe his arm wasn't the only thing that was still injured. His everything had also yet to heal properly from the skirmish before, it seemed.

The air reluctantly leaving his lungs, Beast Boy's legs rebelled against the added weight, the rest of his body falling prey as gravity took the opportunity to be a dick.

Crashing to the floor, Beast Boy groaned slightly as his unexpected guest landed on top of him, his tired frame crying out in protest of being used to cushion the mysterious person's fall. Feeling breath that was not his lightly tickling the side of his face, he opened one weary eye, the other following behind as the first widened considerably.

Purple eyes. Purple hair. Grey skin.

Shit.

Raven stared down at Beast Boy, small wisps of obsidian magic escaping from her body as blood began to highlight her cheeks. Beast Boy remained completely frozen, his eyes wide as Raven's began to wander down his body.

"Beast Boy…" Raven began, shuffling slightly in his grasp, consequently alerting Beast Boy to the fact that she was effectively straddling him.

Her eyes landing on the cut on his arm, Raven angled her face back up, forcing a blank look to adorn her features as she fought the red from her cheeks.

"Please let go of me; you smell horrible."

Not trusting his voice to stay level, Beast Boy nodded rapidly, unwrapping his arms from Raven's back as though he'd been electrocuted. Levitating to her feet, Raven brushed the dirt from her cloak, one last streak of ebony magic escaping from her clutches as she watched Beast Boy right himself.

"Uh…" Beast Boy attempted, glancing up at the ceiling as the small strand of rouge magic slipped between his legs, "so nice of you to drop in?"

Raven's accidental expulsion dived for the crack below Cyborg's door, the harsh red light immediately disappearing as a loud explosion shook the hall. Spinning around, Beast Boy raised his fists, confusion claiming his mind as smoke began to billow from around Cyborg's door.

"Haha! Suck it, nerd!" Cyborg crowed, the door wobbling ominously as the sound waves bounced from it.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow in perfect unison with Raven, identical thoughts rushing through their minds as the buzzing of one of Cyborg's many tools once again resumed.

_'Am I missing something?'_

"Stop not blowing up, you scum munching witch!" A shrill voice unhelpfully screamed from above, Beast Boy and Raven turning to watch as Gizmo erupted from the still not quite dispersed cloud of dust above their heads. Surveying the corridor, his eyes landed on Beast Boy and Raven, both of whom having already lowered themselves into fighting stances.

"You're still alive?" He squeaked at Beast Boy, before turning to face Cyborg's door as it slid open. A slightly burned Cyborg walking out, holding what looked to be Gizmo's special cannon above his head in a victorious manner.

"My trap didn't get you?" Gizmo seemed mildly surprised, before a grin adorned his features. Cyborg placed the cannon none too gently on the ground beside his feet, his arm already transformed into his signature sonic cannon.

"I thought you were the one who set that up, you little weasel!" Cyborg exclaimed, his sonic cannon already leveled on Gizmo's head, "I knew it!"

"Knowing who the perpetrator was isn't going to save you." Gizmo cheeped, four long, metallic legs erupting from his backpack. His jetpack folding backwards, Gizmo fell to the floor, the spider-like legs stretching high into the air as he towered over the Titans in front of him.

Beast Boy grinned, the gloves having already left his hands as his fingernails grew longer and sharper. Beside him, Raven had already lowered her hood, black sparks dancing across her clenched fists as she glared up at the villainous child before them.

"You're right." Cyborg sneered, the neon glow emitting from his prosthetic body parts brightening slightly, "kicking your butt is!"

Three identical red dots had appeared on the heroes' foreheads, Gizmo's hand hovering ominously over a button on his chest as the three friends charged.

**XxX**

"That…was a lot easier than I expected."

Cyborg absently scratched his head, Gizmo swearing vehemently against the magical bonds that covered his mouth and body. Beast Boy stood no more than five feet from where the fight had started, having retracted his claws as he stared down at the decimated remains of Gizmo's backpack.

_'Nowhere near as dense as the Gordanian ship.'_ He mused silently to himself, his ear flicking as Raven gave a slight groan. Turning to face her, he saw her hand make its way to her head, her eyes still glowing slightly from the use of her powers.

"Can one of you please shut him up?" She hissed, Gizmo yelping slightly as the dark strip across his only available place of oxygen intake tightened slightly. "His constant talking is going to give me a migraine."

Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged glances, identical thoughts racing through their heads.

Raven in a bad mood was not good.

Raven in a bad mood _with a migraine_ was VERY not good.

Wordlessly, Beast Boy walked to the downed villain, Gizmo only having enough time to mouth 'Fu-' before a hardened boot connected with the side of his head.

"Child abuse…" Gizmo mumbled against his improvised gag, sweet unconsciousness relieving the team of the burden that was him. At least temporarily.

"Thank you." Raven intoned tonelessly, letting her magic fade away as Cyborg clipped the pint-sized genius' wrists behind his back with a pair of handcuffs.

Opening his mouth to reply, Beast Boy froze, his ears flickering slightly as his head swivelled to look down the dark hallway. Lowering himself back into a combat stance, he felt Raven and Cyborg tense up behind him, the latter's arm already in sonic cannon mode as his mechanical eye began scanning down the hallway.

"I hear footsteps…" Beast Boy wasn't even sure if the words had left his mouth, though the message they conveyed was as clear as day. The rhythmic thumping of leather on metal filled the hallway, Beast Boy's claws lengthening of their own accord as two figures emerged from the shadows.

Red hair, orange skin. Domino mask, flowing cape.

Beast Boy felt his muscles relax as Starfire and Robin made their way down the corridor towards them, Robin leaning on Starfire's shoulder as he limped down the corridor. Despite the obvious pain the Boy Wonder was in, both of them seemed to be enjoying their position quite a lot.

"Friends!" Starfire cried, Robin forced to hobble along a little faster as Starfire took to the skies. "It is wonderful to see you!"

"Same here, Sta-" Beast Boy began, almost losing his balance as Starfire launched herself towards him, glomping him in a tight embrace.

"Friend Beast Boy! You are unharmed!" Starfire cried, Beast Boy's words dying in his throat as Starfire inadvertently pulled his face to her breasts.

In the background, a spark of black magic escaped into the open air, impacting against the ground below where Gizmo lay. Too caught up in the relief of seeing all of their teammates alive, no one noticed the small explosion as the ground erupted, nor the small boy that was sent forcefully face first into the wall by said explosion. Less than a second later, the now destroyed handcuffs landed beside him, a small moan escaping his lips as he twitched slightly.

"Uh, thanks?" Beast Boy squeaked, his voice reaching higher than it had in years. Immensely thankful for the fact that Starfire had her back to the rest of the team, Beast Boy pulled his body back, his bones aching from the iron grip Starfire had had around them.

"Good to see you're alright." Robin nodded towards Beast Boy, a small smile on his face as Starfire retreated to his side.

"You too." Beast Boy returned, before raising an eyebrow as he surveyed the injuries that littered his leader's body. "Are you?"

"These?" Robin snorted, gesturing to his body before waving his hand dismissively. "I've had worse. Got most of them from the big one until Starfire showed up."

"Indeed." Starfire nodded solemnly, before a large grin spread across her face. "But I believe we did the kicking of his butt!"

Robin nodded, turning Cyborg as he did so. "I've already requested prison transport from the JCPD." Gesturing towards Gizmo, whom no one had seemed to noticed traversed from one side of the hall to another, Robin continued.

"Where's the last one?"

Cyborg shrugged, stooping down to pick up the cannon at his feet as he did so. "I don't know, somewhere around that corner. Wasn't really paying attention."

Turning back to his bedroom, Cyborg waved, gracefully kicking the door open as he did so. "This has been fun and all, but I'm gonna run a few tests on this thing. I don't feel any different, but I wanna be sure. I did get hit by it a few times."

Before the door could swish shut, a slight groan was heard from the ground, everyone turning to watch as Gizmo pulled himself into a sitting position. Rubbing his head, he groaned once more, one hand beginning to dig through his pocket.

"Damn it, my head hurts…" Seemingly unaware of the presence of every Titan behind his back, Gizmo pulled a phone from his pocket, flipping it open as he began dialing a number.

"I should call Slade." Gizmo muttered to himself, only to shriek in surprise as the phone was swiped from his clutches. Spinning around with a fist raised, Gizmo stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes registered the audience he had, all the colour draining from his cheeks as Robin lifted him easily into the air with one hand.

"Who is Slade?" Robin demanded, Beast Boy crushing the phone that he'd stolen between his fingers as though it were paper.

"Oh, you'll find out." Gizmo stated ominously, his mouth twisting into a grin as Robin's twisted into a frown. "And when you do, you're really going to wish you hadn't."

Beast Boy turned away as high pitched laughter began to ring out across the corridor, silently walking away as Robin ordered Raven to once again gag the annoying villain. Outside, one last fork of lightning lit up the sky, as the rain hammering against the many windows of the tower slowed to a halt.

One last drop of water landing on his toes, Beast Boy paused before a broken window, a sigh escaping his lips as his foot brushed against a shard of broken glass.

_'So it's going to start here, is it?'_

**XxX**

Beast Boy stood alone on the roof of Titans Tower, the light slowly disappearing from around him as he watched the moon rise above the horizon. The many dark clouds from before has simply vanished, giving anyone in Jump City a magnificent view as stars slowly began to appear in the sky.

Lowering himself to the ground, Beast Boy kicked his legs out, allowing them to dangle from the edge of the tower as he continued to stare out to sea. Ignoring the small crater beside him, Beast Boy allowed himself to fall backwards, his hands cushioning the impact as the wove his fingers together behind his head.

_'Slade…'_

"Isn't it rather early to be stargazing?"

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow as the voice rang out across the roof, a smile etching itself across his face as the familiar scent of tea leaves filled his nostrils.

"Isn't it rather late to be meditating?" He countered, almost feeling Raven roll her eyes as she appeared next to him.

Raven remained silent, her face hidden beneath her hood. Lowering herself to the ground beside Beast Boy, Raven crossed her legs, her back completely straight as she stared out across the waves.

Closing his eyes, Beast Boy refrained from talking, the only noise permeating their atmosphere being the unique crashing of the waves as they hit the sand of the island.

"Let me see your arm."

Beast Boy's eyes opened, his eyebrows travelling up to his hair line as he craned his neck, only slightly managing to get Raven within the boundaries of his peripheral vision.

"Excuse me?"

"I said; let me see your arm." Raven repeated, exasperation colouring her voice as her eyes flickered, none too inconspicuously, to the large gash that Beast Boy was sporting below his elbow.

Lifting his head from the ground, Beast Boy pushed himself into a sitting position, injured arm extended towards the empath beside him. Wordlessly, Raven laid a hand against the torn uniform, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Beast Boy, this cut is still bleeding. Why haven't you bandaged it yet?

Beast Boy's eyes widened slightly in surprise, before drifting down the length of his arm. Sure enough, almost all of the green visible through the ruined uniform had been haphazardly covered in red, his brain finally seeming to register the pain that the injury was causing.

"Hold still." Raven commanded, slightly startling Beast Boy with the force behind the words. Not giving him any time to respond, Raven's hands took on a pale glow, the skin beneath them beginning to close over the wound at a surprisingly rapid rate.

"You can heal people?" Beast Boy asked, feigning surprise. It was technically the first time she'd healed anyone on the team, after all. There was no need to act as though he was expecting it.

Even though he hadn't been.

Pulling her hands back, Raven inspected the injury. A scar was all that remained of the once impressive cut, Beast Boy's eyes wide as she turned to look at him.

"Uh…thanks." Beast Boy said hesitantly, noting the lack of energy behind Raven's gaze. The dark girl seemed unaffected, however, as she levitated to her feet, her hood falling to her shoulders as a small breeze dusted lightly across the rooftop.

Silently, Raven turned away, her feet never touching the ground as she made her way towards the door. Opening it with her powers, she paused slightly, Beast Boy's ears twitching as she turned ever so slightly to face him.

Beast Boy blinked, opening his eyes just in time to see the end of a blue cape disappear around a closing door. Rotating his head to stare out towards the moon, he absently rubbed the skin that his newest scar inhabited.

He was sure he'd heard something. Even through the waves and the wind, Raven's voice had managed to pierce, almost as if carrying a message that the Gods themselves wanted him to hear.

_"I'm glad you're safe."_

Sending one last look out over the ocean, Beast Boy climbed to his feet, doing his best to avoid walking through the extensive damage, which Robin had probably left behind in his fight, on his journey towards the door.

He could worry about Slade and his teammates' odd behaviour later.

Right now, he really needed a shower.

**XxX**

"They failed!?"

Slade remained completely still as Brother Blood continued screeching, his fingers steepled as his reluctant accomplice began violently flailing at one of the many monitors that hung from the wall. Beside him, two figures stood in the shadows, four glowing eyes being the only evidence to their existence.

"You fools! Do you even realise what you've done!?"

"Your operatives cannot hear you from here." Slade's deep voice cut through the angered screams of Blood with ease, his imposing figure rising from the throne like chair on which he sat. "You may stop yelling at any time."

"Your ignorance shall be your downfall!" Blood continued unperturbed, jabbing the television screen with a sharp finger. The delicate glass complained loudly at the abuse, Blood's rage blinding him to the torture he was currently inflicting upon the inanimate object.

"Should anything in this room be destroyed, I shall expect you to fully reimburse me for any damages."

"Your pitiful performance today has earned you all three months' worth of detentions!" The screen shattered beneath Brother Blood's latest assault, sparks flying from the newest hole in the wall as the irate headmaster finally halted his tirade in favour of refilling his lungs.

"If you're quite finished?" Slade inquired, a sour glare being all he needed in order to continue, "if you were to allow me to talk, you'd have known that your 'students' were actually remarkably successful in their mission."

Brother Blood snorted, the half human's glowing body parts flashing briefly at the action. "How do you reach that conclusion?"

"I never expected the Titans to be beaten so easily." Slade declared, the screens before him lighting up individually, as if on their own. "There were several tasks that were required to be completed during this little escapade; I should extend my congratulations to their teacher for how admirably they performed."

One by one, pictures began filling the multi-sized screens, Blood's eyes widening as they did so. Gizmo typing various commands into Titans Tower's main computer. Two separate cases of bright red beams connecting with both Starfire and Cyborg. Robin holding Gizmo up by the front of his jumpsuit, a ruined phone resting at their feet.

The last screen, a location Blood was not familiar with, showed a hulking figure charging directly through numerous walls, coming to a stop before a door that, compared to the many other doors within the same building, was extremely secure.

Feeling the Earth begin to shake beneath his feet, Blood gave a start as the door was effectively ripped from its hinges, the same massive creature from the footage casually waltzing in, holding what looked to be a gargantuan fish tank over one shoulder.

Instantly, both individuals with the glowing eyes were in front of Blood, glaring threateningly at the approaching giant. Electricity surrounded the duo as the pressure within the room almost seemed to intensify.

The creature paid no mind to the apparent threats of his safety, strutting past them as though they were invisible. Stopping before Slade, the thing slammed its cargo to the ground, bowing deeply to the villain as he did so.

"You may call off your guard dogs." Slade informed Blood, gesturing to the two teenagers, whom had yet to move from their post. "Cinderblock is harmless, so long as you don't instigate anything."

"Lightning, Thunder. The storm was enough. There is no need to test your strength any further. Stand down." Though Blood's voice still shook with barely suppressed nerves, his two slaves obeyed unquestionably, slumping down slightly where they stood.

"I do not understand why you would feel the need to enslave more teenagers." Slade commented, his single eyed stare carrying far too much insinuation for Blood's liking. "I'm not going to question where you even managed to find them."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Blood grunted, turning back to the screens on the wall with a small scowl replacing his normally large scowl.

"Slade."

Raising an eyebrow behind his mask at the sudden change of temperament, Slade remained silent, his unwilling companion taking the opportunity to collect his thoughts before turning to face his partner in crime.

"What are you planning?"

Slade felt the laughter escaping his lips, everyone in the room flinching away from the unnatural sound. A large grin stretching across his aged face, Slade turned back to his throne, the look in his one eye alone enough to speed up a weaker person's bowel movements.

"You shall see soon enough."

**XxX**

…Eh. I've written better.

I've got a special announcement for any and all of you who may be reading this story. As you can probably plainly see, I'm closing in on my hundredth review. I've never had a story reach that honour, and to be blatantly honest I'm rather excited. So much so, in fact, that I've even gone so far as to think up a special prize for the person who has the hundredth review.

The prize is…

Going to be made public, should the winning wish it to be. I'm not going to ruin the surprise, fuck off. It's not a really great prize either, but I don't have the money of the patience to mail out a car or something along those lines. TAKE MY SHITTY CHARITY AND LEAVE ME BE.

I'll say this now; obviously I get guest reviews from time to time. Guests are not able to win this prize. Being able to PM the winner is sort of necessary, so if you want to be the winner you must be logged into an account and must be able to receive messages. If, by some divine intervention or some shit, the winner is a guest, then I'll just choose the ninety-ninth reviewer. Or the hundredth and first, should I have one.

So yeah. With all that shit about reviews out of the way, leave a review! Oh, bet you never saw that coming. I'm such a cunning little internet loser, ain't I?

Peace!

_**X**_


	9. Omake 1 - Life Lessons

Now, before you get into the chapter, I need to tell you something.

This isn't a regular update. This is something...extra, if you will. A bonus.

The story goes like so: Pausing The Flow was added to a community, I wrote an omake to celebrate said adding to community, and uploaded it to the series of one-shots that I haven't updated in forever because that's not important. Now, about a month later, I come to the realisation that that was pretty stupid. It's an addition to this story, so that means it'll only make sense to people who read this story.

So, to rectify my screw up, and I suppose to celebrate the reaching of 100 reviews, have an omake that focuses on my favourite genre to write. Obviously, considering the fact that this has been uploaded elsewhere, this will most likely be familiar to some people. For you, I apologise. I'll get an actual chapter out when I can; a rather personal matter has been taking much of my time recently, one of which is far more important than a hobby such as this.

Alright, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I didn't own Teen Titans when I wrote this about a month ago, and I don't own them now. You'll get over it, I'm sure.**

**XxX**

_Omake I - Life Lessons_

"Is there any reason I have to be here?"

"Larry." Mento sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between finger and thumb as the air left his mouth. "I've already told you. This job is about as important as they come. You're doing it, end of discussion."

"Cliff has this covered." Negative Man pointed out, gesturing towards an unusually happy Robot Man, "and besides, I really don't want to do this."

"You really don't have to do this!" Beast Boy called from the couch, his eyes darting around the room as though looking for an option for escape. Despite the obviously copious amount of nervousness in his voice, Beast Boy's body remained completely still, invisible psychic energy robbing him of all desired movement.

"You're going to be sitting in to make sure everything goes according to plan." Mento replied, completely ignoring Beast Boy as he began making his way to the door.

"Mento?" Beast Boy tried, his attempt going unanswered as Mento reached for the door handle. Cursing lightly under his breath, he extinguished the spark of panic that had ignited within his chest, his unresponsive body being coated in the beginning of a fine layer of sweat.

If Mento walked out that door, he was going to be taking every single hope that Beast Boy had of freedom with him.

Beast Boy couldn't let that happen. There was too much at stake here.

He would have to play every single card he had if he was to get out this situation.

"Uh, sir?" Beast Boy ventured, the telepath pausing briefly in the doorway. Mustering up the most pathetic, wounded, disarming voice possible, Beast Boy widened his eyes as far as he could, droplets of water beginning to materialise in the corners.

_'Face, don't fail me now.'_

"Do I really have to listen to this?"

Mento turned his back to the door, silently regarding the green boy in front of him. Sweeping his eyes over Beast Boy's pleading face, he scowled slightly, his features stony in their resolve.

"I'm sorry Beast Boy, but yes. Yes you do."

The pitiful expression on Beast Boy's face wavered ever so slightly, disbelief flashing within his enlarged eyes.

His trump card, beaten so thoroughly and effortlessly. All within two mere sentences.

The water had begun to cascade down Beast Boy's cheeks, the amount of hurt on his face enough to make Trigon himself feel guilty. At this point, even he wasn't sure if the tears were real of not.

_'I have to get out of here! Come on, think! If the face didn't work, what will?'_

"But…but why?" Beast Boy gasped as though he'd been shot through the chest, adding a gaping jaw into the mix for bonus points.

He needed to stall, give himself enough time to come up with an alternative escape plan.

How he planned on playing a telepath was anyone's guess.

Mento brought his forehead to the cold metal beside him, his helmet thudding slightly at he made contact.

"The couch." He almost whispered, quiet enough to make everyone capable of movement lean forward slightly. Turning away, he laid a hand against the wall, his shoulders visibly shaking. He had begun talking quietly to himself, staggering towards the door like a wounded animal.

"Rita's wrath…so uncomfortable…spent a fortune on that thing…always waking up with a sore back… never displease the wife…"

The three males watched silently as their fearless leader stumbled out of the room, babbling nonsense the entire way. As soon as the metallic passageway had sealed behind Mento, loud sobs echoed from beyond the portal, footsteps growing gradually fainter.

"So." Robot Man clapped his hands together, completely ignoring the sound of a faucet being turned in the background, "shall we begin?"

Beast Boy groaned lightly, Negative Man offering a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as Robot Man produced a whiteboard and marker pen seemingly out of thin air.

**XxX**

(An hour later)

_'Mento, I'm going to cockblock you so badly when this is over.'_

"Now." Robot Man said with a grin, laying the marker pen down beside him as he began gesturing towards the board. "I trust that after that, you've got the basics of sex down, yes?"

Beast Boy gave a non-committal grunt, his bloodshot eyes focused intently on the floor between the couch and the board. Never before had he wished he could kill himself with a thought, but thirty whole minutes of being forced to gaze at sketches of phalluses far too detailed to have been drawn by a beginner had almost made him change his mind.

His eyes absently traveled to the still form of Negative Man, the apathetic superhero having remained completely silent for the entirety of the time they had been in the room. From what Beast Boy had seen from the corner of his eye, Negative Man had pretended to hang himself with his bandages a quarter of the way through the anatomy lesson, having not so much as twitched from that moment on.

Was he still breathing?

"Right!" Robot Man clapped his hand together, the gong like sound bringing Beast Boy's attention back to him. Negative Man spasm slightly at the sudden noise, the only proof of life that anyone had seen in a while from the quiet individual.

"Now that you know the science behind baby making." Robot Man waved his hand in the direction of the board, specifically the expertly drawn sexual organs, "it's time to teach you about women!"

"Great." Beast Boy grumbled, his eyes narrowing slightly. He'd given up telling Robot Man he already knew all he needed of the subject over an hour ago.

He'd come back through time to save his friends. He wasn't interested in 'hooking up' with anyone, as Robot Man had so eloquently put it.

Maybe after he'd defeated the Brotherhood of Evil, he'd test the relationship waters. Until then, he was a man on a mission.

It also helped that he had already been given the talk by his birth parents, but nobody seemed to care about that.

"It is great!" Robot Man grinned, happy that his pupil had learned something. "Now, back when I had a human body, I was quite the ladies man. As such, I know everything there is to know on this subject."

"I'm sure."

"Excellent! Now, where to begin…" Robot Man sat opposite Beast Boy, tapping his chin with the marker pen that Beast Boy still didn't know the origins of. "Let's see, I know that women are very sensitive, OK? Very emotional. They're kind, they're nurturing, they're… they're beautiful, ain't they?"

Beast Boy gave another grunt in response, having already decided that the roof was more interesting than his 'lesson'.

Robot Man nodded sagely, rubbing his chin as his eyes closed. "And every single one of them is full of shit."

"What!?" Negative Man spluttered, speaking for the first time as he sat bolt upright. Beside him, Beast Boy's eyes had snapped back down to his 'teacher', his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hair.

"They're full of shit." Robot Man repeated, oblivious to the stares he was receiving. "They don't want you to talk to them. They don't want you to listen to them. They want you to agree with them. And if you don't they'll just keep talking and talking and talking until you do. It's not a conversation, it's erosion. They will talk and talk, ask again, rephrase, wait three days, bring it up one more time until you finally just go 'Fine! You know what honey just do whatever the hell you wanna do!' Then she'll look at you and say 'I'm glad we talked about it.'"

Beast Boy and Negative Man shared a glance as Robot Man continued unimpeded, nothing having the capability of stopping him from imparting his 'wisdom'.

**XxX**

(Ten minutes later)

"Now, getting a girlfriend. Let's see now…right. Getting a girlfriend is like joining the army. You get a haircut, new clothes and all the information is handed to you on a need to know basis. Also, they don't like you sleeping. I don't know what it is, but something about a sleeping man drives women nuts! I don't know what it is but they just go crazy! Oh yeah, and if your lady friend ever says the words 'I was thinking', you're either going to have to move, paint or buy something."

Robot Man nodded at his own words, Beast Boy having lost since stopped listening.

**XxX**

(An hour later)

"Marriage was a woman's idea, I figured that out. There was no caveman going 'I only have sex with you. It no work out? Take half my stuff'. There is tremendous social pressure to be married. Society wants you to be married, married people want you to be married. It's an emotion pyramid scheme, I guess they figured 'I'm not happy with my life, if I can get two other people…'"

**XxX**

(Several hours later)

"No matter what my young friend, you want your lady happy. Their happiness should be very important to you. Because when they're happy, they let you touch them. Sex is important to guys; we need stories to tell our friends, and men tend to lie when it comes to sexual conquest. You should hear some of the ego driven lies I've heard, let me tell you…"

**XxX**

(Later that night, possibly the next morning)

"Well, I think that about covers it. You have anything to add, Larry?" Robot Man questioned, turning to his teammate. Receiving a wordless shake of Negative Man's head, Robot Man placed a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder, the green teenager staring at him warily through barely open eyes.

"The wonders of women." Robot Man began, briefly tightening his grip on Beast Boy as he nodded seriously. "You may be too young to embrace them now, but one day. Maybe not anytime soon, but eventually you will experience the greatness."

Receiving nothing in reply, Robot Man bowed slightly, patting Beast Boy once on the back as he stood up. Walking towards the door, he waved to them once, before his bulky frame disappeared around the corner.

"I'm sorry." Negative Man broke the silence after a few moments, the expressionless bandages tilted slightly towards Beast Boy as he spoke. "Neither of us should have had to sit through that."

"He's lucky he doesn't have testicles anymore." Beast Boy said suddenly, Negative Man's head snapping up faster than the naked eye could follow. "Because if he did he'd probably be kicked in them every day."

Negative Man chuckled lightly as he rose from the couch, Beast Boy mirroring his movements. Mento must have taken his helmet off before he fell asleep; the psychic energy that had tethered Beast Boy to the furniture had subsided at some point that night.

"I guess there's no need to tell you that you should probably disregard everything you heard tonight?" Negative Man inquired, eliciting a loud crack from his neck as he tilted his head.

"Done." Beast Boy replied, one hand stifling a yawn as the other reached for the door handle.

**XxX**

I'm considering writing one of these for every hundred reviews. Thoughts?

Also, special shout out to McDiggity for being the hundredth reviewer! If you like drama fics, he's currently got two stories in the works that are pretty good. Honestly, I can think of maybe a handful of authors that I've seen on this website truly deserving of reviews, and he's one of them. Maybe that's just my opinion, but he's still worth checking out.

Alright, I got stuff to do. Till next (actual) chapter, my glorious X-Dressers!

Peace!

_**X**_


	10. Chapter 8 - Enlightened Rage

Been a while, eh? I'm sorry, and I mean that. A fair few things have happened recently, including the fact that I've had to recently find an alternate means to education. I've kept it under wraps, for those of you that I speak to on a more regular basis, simply because the process has been tedious at best. That is what I apologise for. I've done some alternate writing, mostly to keep my mind off of real life.

But it's there. And no matter how hard I want to try, I have to acknowledge it.

There's also the fact that Fanfiction has been giving me Hell over absolutely everything. I can't read reviews, one of my more recent stories was deleted, and PM's barely get through to me after about half a damn day.

Hey, whoever the Hell may be reading in a position of power over this joint! Fix your fuckin' website! It's pissing me off!

Also, for a part of this chapter, keep in mind that one of my personal theories about the batarang and birdarang is that they are aided in their flight by some form of machinery. I couldn't really find anything about it in my research, but in the cartoon you can easily see wires and such when they break so there you have it. Purely a plot device, though nothing important. Just pre-emptively clearing any confusion.

If you notice any mistakes in the chapter, drop me a memo or something? I haven't really had any time to proof-read, and you've waited for this chapter long enough. Thank you in advance!

Now, enjoy! And hope this story doesn't combust or something…

**XxX**

_Chapter eight - Enlightened Rage_

_Whoop. Whoop. Whoop._

Beast Boy's eyes flew open, his feet hitting the floor before his brain had the chance to keep up. The doors to his wardrobe flew open, his custom tailored steel capped boots being swept up in his rush to the automatic door.

_Whoop. Whoop. Whoop._

Casting one final, longing looks towards the sheets bathed in crimson, the door slid to a close behind the teenager, the final look of panic illuminated by the lights above his head as he took off at a sprint.

**XxX**

Beast Boy wasn't paranoid. He fought criminals close to every day of the week, had been close to assassinated when he was but a wee tot, and was completely certain he was now currently trapped within a massive conspiracy that would evolve into eventually turning the leader of his elite crime fighting, super powered unit into a villainous apprentice, but he was not paranoid.

He was, however, known for being quite the conspiracy theorist.

And for that reason, and none other that may have been concerned with the unobstructed continuation of an entire timeline, he was understandably more than a bit worried about the complete disappearance of Blackfire, Thunder, AND Lightning.

Not to mention the entire prison fiasco that had involved Cinderblock.

One of the more major criminals, and two of the Titans most powerful allies. Never rearing their heads, never causing any strife within the city.

Never queuing themselves to receive a communicator of one of the most powerful communities on the planet. Never paving the path towards the unhealthy obsession with revenge. Never overthrowing and oppressing an entire planet in a convoluted scheme to sell off their sister because they had their ass kicked in a fight that _one_ time out of, like, twenty.

Not that he was for complete tyranny of a massive rock. Maybe after he was done with the whole super hero routine…

No. Only a deaf person would be able to withstand the magnitude of whatever lecture Robin would have pre-prepared for that topic. And it was wrong, and blah blah…

Beast Boy's shoulder connected with the metal beneath him, the corner passing by in a blur as he took off from his rather unnecessary combat roll.

Why the Hell was his room so far from the ops center, anyway? It was almost as if the entire hectic journey was supposed to take place within the main character of some stories' mind, with the audience being privy to every troubling cognition.

…Where had that thought come from?

Beast Boy stumbled slightly, the hand steadying him against the floor morphing fluidly into a clawed paw. Green cheetah now where green teenager used to be, the animal sped down the corridor, the elevator clearly within his field of view.

The Titan alarm had rung three times in the last week. All petty crimes, all without Beast Boy. He had been trapped between the covers of his bed, recovering from the concussion the fight against the H.I.V.E had left him with.

No-one would listen to his claims that he was more or less completely fine. He was a little green, sure, but that was nothing different. No, apparently it was 'humanly impossible' to have recovered that quickly from such an injury.

So had said the _robot_ to the _animal_.

At least the entire affair with Fixit had been somewhat easier.

If Mumbo being taken down within the first five minutes of their fight, only for Beast Boy to 'trip' down the rabbit hole into the robotic pit of doom, leading to Robin being kidnapped and taken down the one tunnel available for kidnappers to take, all so Fixit could make an honest attempt in mechanising the entire team could be considered easier than what they had gone through the first time.

In one word, a clusterfuck. Ah well. At least they'd gotten a new ally as a result. The first person that Robin had ever decided to gift a Titan communicator to.

Was person even the right word? Not according to Raven, who was still coughing up screws a day after.

Beast Boy was almost certain half of the words she'd used in reference to the odd mechanic were Azarathian in nature. Not to mention vulgar.

Raven. Another concern that had been gnawing at the edges of his mind as his head was forced back towards the pillow because _someone_ couldn't understand that animalistic genetics did not equal human.

Her behaviour had been…off. And not in the good, 'she may be high right now but she's smiling so I don't mind that much' way.

No, it had been more along the lines of, 'I am going to set a new record for castration in the near future if you do not leave my presence. _And I am the reigning champion_.'

The volcano had been gathering lava for the past week. A single catalyst would be all it would need in order to erupt. And now that the walls were bathed in red, the demon was just that step closer to taking control.

He wouldn't let that happen. If he had a say in the matter, that is. Not to mention visiting Nevermore was not very high on his to-do list.

He wasn't sure if dying in someone's mind meant death in real life, and if he could help it then there was no freakin' way he was going to find out. Trigon after Raven was sacrificed had been bad enough; he still wasn't sure how they'd won the first time around. It had been all Raven's work, after all.

He wasn't even sure if there was anything he could _do_, period. But making sure tonight didn't replicate the fiasco it had devolved into the first time around could only help, right?

The door before the green wildcat opened with its signature swish, the now human stepping through the last of the red glow towards the rest of his team.

He could still hope. After all, that was kind of his thing.

**XxX**

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The doors of the armoured trucks detonated, the driver of the vehicle barely managing to leap from the seat of the vehicle before its momentum carried it over to its side. Pausing to activate the silent alarm, the helmeted man drew the sidearm that was kept by his side at all times during his shift…

And promptly holstered it, turning tail to flee towards a slightly less evil populated street.

Why the Hell should he have to fight the newest crazy wearing a sparkly suit? Let the super heroes handle that shit, his job description had only ever said drive.

"Freeze!"

Gee, that was fast.

Now he could run away and make it seem like he was trying to not be in the way. And the gold would be safe. He could almost imagine how hard he was going to be fired if he lost that much on a shift _again_. He was pushing the boundaries enough as it was.

**XxX**

"Freeze!"

The man atop the ravaged vehicle halted his cackling, looking down upon the new arrivals to the scene from his perch.

"Ah." He drawled, his eyes lingering over Starfire and Raven more than what would be socially acceptable. "The Te-eeee-en Titans. Come to stop me, I presume?"

"This doesn't look good." Cyborg muttered into Robin's ear, doing his best to not seem obvious as he almost bent in half at the waist. "He knows who we are. That suit's real shiny, too. I bet he's tough."

Something black whipped past their heads, Beast Boy sprinting forward on all fours as he prepared to transform.

"He's a weirdo in a costume." The speeding green lad stated, his charge having already taken him more than halfway towards the smirking villain. This needed to be ended, quickly. "Just hit him!"

Doctor Light looked on with minimal interest as the green ram ploughed directly into the cocoon of solid light that had enveloped him, the horns of the boy nowhere near forceful enough to scatter the manipulated particles.

'_Alright, ow.'_

Beast Boy's form shifted back to that of a human's, the teenager barely having enough room to dance around the beam that had been shot towards him. Swinging a fist towards the good doctor's face, he was unpleasantly annoyed when his opponent showcased his deceptive agility, the fist flying past his helmeted head with a single gesture of his neck.

"Impressive." Light complimented, a glowing blade erupting from his the sleeve of his black jumpsuit, blocking the kick that had been aimed towards his stomach. "But you're still stuck in the dark, I'm afraid!"

Beast Boy drew his leg back, his arm brushing against whatever had been attached to his stomach in the process.

Wait, what?

The electricity was already dancing across his skin as Beast Boy looked down, his muscles immediately stiffening as the voltage forced them to clench painfully. Not even having a chance to fall to the floor, a pale yellow beam slammed into Beast Boy's chest, his skin screaming in protest as a hole was burned into his shirt.

"Titans!" Robin pulled a birdarang from his utility belt, his masked eyes flickering to the side as Cyborg caught Beast Boy's flying form. "Go!"

Starbolts rained from the sky before the words had been given time to stop echoing, Beast Boy leaping from Cyborg's grip as the mechanical teenager fired his signature cannon.

Doctor Light cackled once again, raising a hand towards the incoming armada of energy. Light quickly began to gather in his palm, bursting forth into a protective dome.

"Your pathetic attacks are no match against the force of light!" Doctor Light declared, the energy based projectiles quickly being absorbed into the bright yellow sphere. Dispelling the orb with a gesture of his arm, his other top limb was flung outwards, a glowing white ball exploding against Cyborg's face before the robotic teenager had been given the chance to blink.

"Argh!" Cyborg grunted, his cannon rapidly shifting back to the proportions of a limb. He couldn't fire, not when he couldn't see where he was aiming. Whatever had comprised that bomb had managed to nullify every field of view his mechanical eye was capable of. That only ever happened…

"Robin!" The warning was swift, catching the boy before the birdarang in his hand could fly. "Careful with the gadgets! He's got access to some kind of EMP!"

Experimentally flicking the weapon towards the good doctor, Robin clicked his tongue in irritation as the oddly shaped boomerang suddenly slammed to a halt mid-air, bouncing from a dome that was previously transparent.

'_Well, that's new.'_

Ducking from the street lamp that had been flying his way with nothing but a split second warning, Beast Boy watched as the unearthed servant of the citizens connected with the pale shield, the metal contorting around the powerful force.

'_And inconsistent. What the Hell is that?'_

Beast Boy fell to the side, rolling back to his feet as a bright beam passed directly through where his head had been. Spinning back to face his opponent, his eyes flicked to the sides, following Robin's punch as it easily by-passed the barrier that still stood strong.

'_Birdarang, light post, but not people…oh my God, he's an idiot.'_

Beast Boy blinked as a traffic light with a cape rocketed past his face, ploughing into the blind robot and taking both of them through a car that had been parked on the side of the street.

Though they were all now located somewhere within the third floor of whatever building they had just intruded quite rudely upon.

"Now if nobody minds," Doctor Light brushed his hands together, a thick beam of light blasting from his chest, through every starbolt headed in his general direction, and straight into Starfire's midsection, thus knocking her from the air, "I'll be taking the gold."

_'Shit.'_

The silent volcano behind him rumbled for the first time that night, every single hair on Beast Boy's neck standing to full attention as the spiritual energy flooded the street.

_'Double shit.'_

Doctor Light was not allowed near Raven. Raven was not allowed near Doctor Light. Those were the rules for tonight, they couldn't just go off and play their own game in the middle of all proceedings. Why was she even so mad in the first place? What the Hell was Trigon doing to her?

Words would be useless. Words would distract, words would provide a window of opportunity to be taken down by a single, well aimed attack. And as stupid as Doctor Light would continuously prove to be, Beast Boy had no doubts in his mind that any argument spawned from his telling Raven to halt would only end in both lying unconscious in separate craters. Or the same crater, if Raven snapped after being told so brashly what to do and attempted to strangle him, which at this point had a very real chance of happening anyway.

He couldn't allow his friend to fight this battle, not in her condition. Especially not when her condition appeared remarkably worse than last time.

So, throwing all caution and regards for personal safety to the wind, Beast Boy extended every claw he had, doing his best to ignore the growl escaping Raven's throat as he threw himself towards the good doctor, the energy dissipating from her hands as Beast Boy purposefully blocked any shot she could make from a distance.

So she wasn't going to shoot him? That was pleasant. Raven's demonic powers could really pack a punch, and having her attacking him right now was not really going to be appreciate- oh shit is that a car?

Beast Boy and Doctor Light, whom had only just managed to pull the lime squirrel from his face, both let out small squeaks of alarm, both man and animal crossing their arms across their faces as the automobile bounced from the pale dome, which had thankfully extended far enough to encompass both their bodies in the face of oncoming danger.

Apparently it was programmed well enough to make honest attempts to avoid its charges' bodies from sustaining too much damage, from the force of any exploding doohikies that were approaching them at a more than survivable velocity.

How was this guy so fucking stupid and deadly at the same time? It was mind-boggling, at the very least. Like Trigon attempting to take over the entire universe with half his skull being a smoking crater, and actually succeeding.

"Heh." Beast Boy chuckled weakly, resuming human form. "Nice shield."

"That it is." Doctor Light lowered his arms, briefly checking over his suit to ensure everything was still attached. "Deflection of most metals known to man! I built it specifically for battle against your merry little band of Titans."

"Cool." Beast Boy climbed back to his feet, accepting the hand that had generously been offered to him by the evil mad scientist. "But… you realise magnetism and light aren't the same thing, right?"

Doctor Light straightened his back, wary eyes sweeping across the angry form of a cloak demoness picking up another car with her powers. "Wait…they're not?"

Another car slammed against the sphere of protection, Beast Boy only giving Doctor Light enough time to see his deadpanned expression before leaping forward, claws extending.

**XxX**

Breakfast was not an occasion he wanted to take a part in the next day. Breakfast was a time of high emotion, with Starfire filling them in on whatever 'most wondrous dream' she'd been having the previous night, or Robin informing them with a half filled mouth of the latest threat towards the city, none of whom had so far been much of a shocker to him.

God forbid they run out of bacon prematurely. If so, then there would be tears.

Beast Boy didn't even _know _crying through a mechanical eye was possible, but stranger things had happened.

But normally, Titans would still be tired. They would be annoyed that a particular mission would run for a lengthy period of time during the night, or rarely feel rather angry over the fact that the latest spree of crimes would run rampant, no clue leading to a checkmate in the game against them. Every morning was a battle of chance against the possibility that a blood red glow would interrupt any and all food consumption.

You would learn to fear the alarm. It had no emotions; it cared not for your satisfaction.

Of course, maybe he was just biased against the universal 'most important meal'. Breakfast had been the first activity the Doom Patrol had engaged in as a whole after he'd broken down and cried into Robot Man's very uncomfortably chest, a particularly embarrassing period of time he'd much rather just forget outright had ever happened.

He was pretty sure the looks he'd received from Negative Man during that meeting of food and tales of a different time had been burned into his mind with a searing hot branding iron comprised of nothing but pure, burning humiliation.

At least life with the Doom Patrol had returned to normal after a few weeks of living in the past. Sure, it had been annoying trying to convince Negative Man that he hadn't just had an incredibly elaborate dream and a chance growth spurt during the night, but a few weeks of correctly predicting natural disasters had quelled those doubts soon enough. Plus, having the resident telepath on his side had helped quite a bit in that regard.

At least showing up at every natural disaster over the course of more than a year to help had aided in the Doom Patrol's skyrocketing reputation. The boosted funding occurring as a result had helped marvelously in the continuation of the otherwise obscured team.

Of course, the possibility of being thrown directly through a wall could have also been a contributing factor. Not everything he wasn't anticipating any enjoyment from could be due to childhood trauma, after all.

Still, after the events of last night, there was every possibility he was going to be in for a Hell of a morning.

And he'd been correct, more or less. Sure, there wasn't any human or animal shaped holes in any of the walls, and all his blood had managed to remain within his body, even after a particularly tense run-in with Raven and a hilariously terrifying misplaced glass of orange juice.

She'd looked about ready to murder him. Hell, he still wasn't sure how he'd managed to escape unharmed. He was almost certain Cyborg had begun planning his funeral the second that carton had hit the floor.

It wasn't as though the mechanical teenager wouldn't be sad if his little buddy got kicked into a bucket by an angry demoness. It was more along the lines of he had a strong enough sense of self-preservation to not intervene in a murder being committed by one stronger than he.

He was a hero, not an idiot. Besides, Raven wouldn't _kill_ anyone, especially not one of her own teammates.

…Maybe.

But, that didn't matter. The looming threat of bodily harm, the childhood trauma, not even the orange juice would make any of that matter to him.

Did it hurt? Having a physical manifestation of an emotion both mutating and battling for control? Was Raven suffering from some kind of monster inflicted head-ache, all because he had no idea how he could help her?

He'd known this would happen, and yet he couldn't prevent it in the first place. At this point, it didn't look like Raven was succeeding in fixing the problem herself.

If that was the case, he'd just have to give her some assistance.

That single decision had been enough to convince him to act. Which was now he was currently standing in front of the only barrier between himself and Raven's room.

"Raven?" He called through the slab of metal, ignoring the small voice in the back of his head telling him to walk away from the door as he began reaching for the button dictating his passage. "You in there?"

…Silence. Excellent.

Doing his best to seem innocent, in the unlikely event he was caught walking through the door of his most secretive teammate, Beast Boy walked through the door of his most secretive teammate, his eyes immediately wandering towards the sinister dresser beside him even as the door slid shut behind him.

**XxX**

Bit short, but it was sort of necessary. I've already got an emoticlone fic in the works, so the Nevermore portion of this fic is going to be two chapters, tops.

I'm attempting to move the plot along a little bit every chapter, so I tried my best to include in a timeskip and a bit more background info for this chapter, all the while including a bit of action and a fair portion of comedy. I cut the Dr. Light fight from the chapter as well, purely because it added nothing, and there'll be plenty of action later on.

Every question involving Raven will be answered within the next few chapters, so don't worry about that. Unless I forget to do so, I have plans on filling any plot hole this chapter may dig. Just giving you a head-ups and saving you some time in case you were planning on asking.

Also, did you catch what I did there? The villains upping their game, the same way the Titans obviously have now that their (arguably) weakest link is far more powerful? Well, you did now.

Next chapter will be some adventures through Nevermore, as well as some proceedings from different points of view. Dunno when I'll be able to write it, but oh well. The more you know, right?

Now that every announcement is out of the way, I don't suppose you'd drop me a review? Let me know how I did?

Until next chapter! Later .o/

_**X**_


	11. Chapter 9 - Demonic Gratitude

Been a while, huh?

I've got nothing that needs to be said, so on to the story!

**XxX**

_Chapter nine - Demonic Gratitude_

...The sinister dresser that was currently buried halfway through the solid metal wall.

Beast Boy stopped dead, the closing doorway behind him plunging the room back into darkness. Automatically, both of his pupils were the vertical slit of a feline's, the small mutation granting him a much clearer view of the room.

As well as the devastation that had apparently occurred within.

"What the..." His words felt foreign; order amongst the chaos that he had unwittingly wandered into. The room looked as though a tornado had run through it, and _cleaned up_.

Hell, it was worse than his room had been the first time around. How was that even possible?

Could the mirror have survived this carnage? Could anything, much less _glass_?

Beast Boy took a cautious step into the chaos, almost shrieking as his foot slid across something both hard and smooth. Whatever the object was, it stood strong, the only noise permeating the atmosphere being Beast Boy's errant breathing.

Glancing toward the ground, Beast Boy raised an eyebrow, watching as his reflection did the same.

Well, _that_ was easy.

Now, how would he-

All other thoughts immediately left his head, as a black tentacle wrapped around it.

**XxX**

During his career as a Teen Titan, Cyborg had seen many unusual things. A potential alien invasion, over one single princess from the stars. A boy with skin as green as grass, sharing that characteristic with the animals he would transform into. Hell, looking into shop windows and seeing half a machine staring back still creeped the humanity out of him.

Yet, no matter how often it happened, nothing he saw could prepare him to abolish his immediate reaction.

Which was exactly why, upon entering the garage, Cyborg gave a short squeak, Raven's head abruptly lifting from where she was reading against the far wall and atop the bench he used for smaller projects.

The only one who ever came into the garage was Robin, and even then those visits were sparse. Beast Boy would tend to drop by every now and again, but that could have been considered normal behaviour for him. He may have been Cyborg's best friend, and pretty damn scary in a fight if he wanted to be, but he was also really _odd_.

Then again, who was he to judge?

"I'm sorry." Before Cyborg could close his mouth, Raven had levitated from the bench on which she'd been perched, folding the corner of the page she'd been reading from. "I'll leave if you want to be alone."

"Huh? Wait, no!" Cyborg set the components in his hands upon the ground carefully, his eyes sweeping across his work station. He knew Raven, out of all people, wasn't likely to break anything when nobody was looking, but he couldn't help himself.

He was protective of what was close to him.

Including...

"If you don't mind me askin', what're you doing in here? I don't really see you very often 'round these parts."

His light tone was lost on Raven, her face twitching just enough for Cyborg's mechanical eye to catch.

"I needed somewhere that was quiet, and the roof was...taken."

"Taken...? Oh, right." Starfire had made her interest in flying a kite known at breakfast, after Raven had left the room. No doubt Robin had jumped at the opportunity. _"An inanimate object is incapable of joy. How does one fly?"_

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised you decided on being here."

Awkward silence followed his proclamation, Raven absently staring down at the spine of her book as Cyborg hesitantly reclaimed his bounty of gadgetry that had entered the room with him.

"Uh..." Cyborg broke the silence, gesturing towards a shapeless mound covered with a tarp. "I'm gonna be working on that, so you can stay if you want. I can't promise silence, though."

The small voices that normally populated her head were growing louder, an annoying buzz of mismatched emotions and calls.

"Actually, not having silence is fine." Raven's feet left the ground, her backside reuniting with the workbench. Her book shuddered slightly, before black energy enveloped and opened it. "In fact, I think I may prefer it at the moment."

**XxX**

Beast Boy twisted deftly in mid-air, narrowly avoiding landing face first on a boulder. He hit the ground on all fours, his eyes darting to monitor his surroundings.

...No creepy birds. Good.

"Ha- Raven!?" He called into the darkness that surrounded him, straightening back to two feet. "Are you there?"

...No answering call. Bad.

Ah well. Not like he'd expected it to be _that_ easy. Still, he had to get going

He had a long trek ahead of him before he'd get to Rage. No time like the present to start making some progress.

He wouldn't complain about running into an Emoticlone or two, though. Some company, not to mention back up, would have been nice for this trip.

Why wasn't Cyborg with him again?

"Welcome..." Beast Boy spun around; the voice had felt as though it were right behind him. He could have sworn he felt warm breath dance across his skin.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" He'd had enough creepiness to last every trip he would ever take into somebody else's mind the last time he'd visited; he surely didn't require any more.

His response was preceded with a dark chuckle, in a voice that was all too familiarly evil for Beast Boy's liking.

"Welcome...time traveler."

Beast Boy's eyes didn't have time to widen as a blood red glow washed over his body, pulling him closer to the center of his teammate's mind.

**XxX**

"I still don't see why we need a car."

"Well, it ain't exactly fair to Star or you that I have to be carried everywhere we need to go. Also, because I drew one a while ago and it looked really cool."

"Point. Maybe. But is Robin alright with this? After all, he is the one that needs to balance the budget."

"He wrote a letter to the mayor, outlining our need for 'additional funds with which to aid the efficiency of our legal endeavors'. Couple of days later, a check comes in the mail, with a handwritten letter telling us to, "do our best!" It went pretty smoothly, actually. The guy would make a great politician."

"Ungrateful. You're going to insult him so soon after a favour so large? I thought higher of you, Cyborg."

"Yeah, yeah. Would you be able to levitate it a little so I can get underneath? I haven't had time to install a lift yet."

"Whilst I'm here, I suppose..."

**XxX**

The first thing Beast Boy saw as he exited the cyclone of crimson energy was what looked suspiciously similar to the forbidden door, albeit shut off and guarded by two stone statues.

It took him far longer than he would ever admit to realise that it was, in fact, the forbidden door, albeit shut off and guarded by two stone statues.

It wasn't completely his fault; he'd only seen a handful of magic doors in his days, and none of them had looked even slightly similar to what lay before him. Sure, they'd have guards ever now and again, but it wasn't exactly common to see a guard with skin made out of the same substance as its weapon.

"Greetings, one so great to have traveled across entire planes."

Well, who knew the Devil himself was so adept at sarcasm? Then again, it was a fragment of Raven's mind.

Beast Boy allowed himself to turn around slowly, carefully keeping his face neutral as he took in the hulking behemoth before him. He hadn't been attacked outright, and something was telling the teenager that most demons probably had no quarrels against striking when their foe's back was turned.

So, what? The big bad red wanted to have a little chat?

"Rage." Beast Boy's eyes darted to the forbidden door...yep. Still closed. Why had the sneaking suspicion that he'd done something incredibly stupid just popped into him mind?

No, this was one of Raven's emotions. He'd be _fine_.

"Not quite, mortal." The demon's eyes flashed, seeming to find amusement in the small step Beast Boy had instinctively taken away from him. "I believe the term for this body that you would understand would be...a vessel?"

Not Rage? This was Raven's mind. If this wasn't Rage, when who could it...

_'Welcome, time traveler.'_

Beast Boy visibly paled. Oh..._shit_.

"...Trigon."

OK, so now it was official.

Somewhere along the line, he'd fucked up _baaaaaad_.

And whatever he had done, the Gods didn't seem too happy about it.

**XxX**

"Alright, I'm almost done with this part. Rae, hand me a spark plug from that box."

"How about a please? And whilst you're at it, tell me what a spark plug is."

Cyborg's head poked from under his project, greased smeared around his frown.

"Seriously?"

"Do I look like a mechanic to you? Or a slave?"

"Fine, I'll get it myself."

"Fine."

Cyborg sighed, squeezing his large body through the small gap that was provided to him.

"Y'know, when you told me you were willing to help, I expected there would be some helping involved."

"I am helping. How did you expect to get underneath that thing if it wasn't floating?"

"Then why is it getting harder to breathe under there?"

"Gee, I don't know. Start a diet, then you're allowed to come complaining to me over the fact that your 'baby' is ridiculously heavy."

He rolled his eyes, feeling a snort escape his lips. Raven raised her eyebrow at his expression, before a single hand motion brought the car inches closer to the ceiling.

It was weird, bantering with Raven, of all people. Not to mention -if the minuscule twitches her lips would suffer were any indication to go by- playful bantering that was being enjoyed by both parties involved.

She was normally so guarded, an airtight seal kept over every little thing about her. Watching her now, Cyborg could almost forget the explosive temper that had been proven to lie beneath that calm exterior.

It was weird, watching her open up so easily around another person.

But it was welcome.

**XxX**

Many times, Beast Boy could have said he was in genuine danger. A situation that could end both his life and his friend's lives with a single wrong move. An environment, filled to the brim with animals or traps, all of which ready and waiting to take a large chunk of his flesh away from him.

An enemy, whose mere presence could alight instincts and reactions so fierce they had to be physically restrained, lest he risk being taken over.

Finding out the Devil himself was the one smiling down from so far up in the sky had done wonders to completely alter Beast Boy's immediate thinking process.

Right now, his mind had laid before him, in an easy to read format full of convenient dot point featured pros and cons, a full list of what he could do in the situation he now found himself in.

The first option, which he had to say was incredibly appealing at this point in time, was to empty his bladder, immediately before transforming into the fastest animal that came to mind, all in a desperate attempt to shed some weight and run to another exit.

No, that wouldn't do.

He wasn't a coward; no, he just had extremely strong will to live. Running would accomplish nothing; he would only tire himself out long before finding another exit from Nevermore, if one even existed. That would just make him an easy target for the Demon that was now watching him with all too shiny teeth bared in a large grin.

Option two, stand his ground, and take out the Demon Lord, ruler of the Lower Domain, in one grandiose strike before his opponent could cough on him and implode his everything.

Haha, _fuck no_.

So, that only left him with option three: talk it out, hopefully make Satan cry with memories of his sad childhood, and leg it whilst he was too busy punching in his mother's mobile number.

"I regret to inform you that Demons are typically born without tear ducts. Otherwise, your scheme would be rather sound."

Wait...Trigon was omnipotent. He had it on record from the Demon himself, as well as the demon's former slave, that he could see all. Crap, did that mean he had seen-

"Yes."

_Eeeewwwww._

OK, new plan. A combination of all three options, all to be utilised at whatever time seemed most appropriate. It probably wouldn't work, but oh well.

After all, he was probably going to die anyway.

**XxX**

"OK, seriously girl! The steering wheel does NOT go there!"

"Where is it supposed to go, then?"

"What do you mean, 'where is it supposed to go'? I'll give you a hint, it goes on the opposite end of the car!"

Raven crossed her arms, the weight of the wrench in her palm not seeming to be of any hindrance to her.

"And how was I supposed to know that?"

"Raven, you just tried to stick the steering column down the exhaust pipe!"

"So I got the placement wrong. Big deal."

"Yeah, it is a big deal! I can forgive you for not knowing how thick the windows should be, but this just makes me _concerned_!"

"Concerned? everyone makes mistakes!"

"Mis...OK, you know what? Just promise me you never plan on driving, ever, and I'll never bring this up again."

**XxX**

Beast Boy glanced towards the forbidden door, almost cursing the sealed passageway aloud before a thought suddenly assaulted his mind.

"Why haven't you killed me yet?"

Why did his voice always sound so weird after prolonged periods of silence? Just because it would still crack every now and then?

"Oh?" Trigon glanced down, confusion that seemed genuine twisting his face. "Why would I want to kill you?"

"Don't give me that. This is a prime opportunity to eliminate one of the biggest threats you've ever come across!"

If only Trigon knew what sort of weapons Beast Boy had in his possession. The proverbial hydrogen bomb of _knowledge_.

Trigon chuckled, the demented sound echoing out across the star riddled sky.

"You think too highly of yourself, insect."

"If all I am is an insect," Beast Boy lowered himself onto a rock, his arms crossed against his chest. "Why haven't you crushed me yet?"

No no no. This was not part of the plan. The victim wasn't supposed to be asking these sorts of questions from their murderer. This was typically the last thing that happened before their murderer became their murderer!

"...A valid point, human." Trigon's hand disappeared beneath the rock Beast Boy was perched on, carrying along a messily carved chair when it returned seconds later.

Beast Boy couldn't help himself. "Where did that come from?"

"I've spent much time here waiting for you. Even when a being is immortal, time has to be passed somehow."

"Much time? How long is..." Beast Boy trailed off, his eyes widening as the realisation hit him.

Raven's mind. Raven's evil father invading Raven's mind. It had happened before, but the influence had been minuscule in comparison to this time...

"Ah." Trigon grinned, settling down in his crafted chair. "You understand."

**XxX**

"Raven...why is the back seat on fire?"

"Design choice."

"You...I..." Cyborg ran a hand down his face, his free hand reaching behind him to grasp at his work station.

"Here." He muttered, presenting a pencil to the unamused girl. "You can be in charge of taking notes."

Raven took the pencil, turning it over in her palm. "Weren't you complaining about the lack of help earlier? And now I'm in charge of holding the pencil."

"Holding the pencil is paramount to my success today." Raven swayed slightly on her feet, going unnoticed as Cyborg doused the back half of his car with a fire extinguisher. "What would happen if that pencil left a mark on the blue-prints, and that mistake was incorporated into the finished project? Disaster, that's what."

Something clattered to the ground behind him.

"Really, that's just rude. You had one job."

Cyborg set the fire extinguisher beside his soon-to-be beloved automobile, turning to face Raven just as the girl's chest hit the floor.

**XxX**

"This is your fault!"

"Blaming one's problems on the Devil is normally considered a way of shirking responsibility."

"Don't give me that psychoanalytic crap! You're the reason she's been so angry for so long! You're screwing with her emotional balance!"

Trigon steepled his fingers, raising an unimpressed eyebrow as Beast Boy stabbed one finger in his direction.

"What gives you the right? Get out of her head, you four-eyed pri-ARGH!"

Beast Boy leapt back, somersaulting over his previous boulder as the ground before it was blown apart by a dark red beam.

"You forget your place, child." Trigon rose from his seat, all sense of merriment gone. If Beast Boy weren't so terrified, he would have question where it had come from in the first place.

"You believe you may tell me what to do? That I shall bend to your will? No being alive or dead orders Trigon the Terrible! Not any demon, not any angel, and certainly not any friend of The Gem.

"You inquired earlier, boy. What the reasoning behind your continued life may be. Why would I not kill you when the opportunity falls from the sky?"

Beast Boy said nothing, his muscles coiling should rapid flight be necessary.

He was, for lack of a better word, _terrified_.

"I see all, child. I see the lives squandered by your species. I see the souls as they pass through my domain. I see the memories, both of those that live and those that die.

"You returned to this world, many Earth rotations ago. And with your appearance, you brought along several incredible memories. All of which found me, all of which fascinated me."

Trigon's voice echoed across the desolate landscape, washing over Beast Boy with all the ferocity of a speeding bus.

"I've seen the failure that shall become of my attempt to cross the portal. I've witnessed defeat at the hands of my own daughter. And I've seen the events that lead up to your circumstances.

"You've presented me something none other would have the chance to. No being, of your realm or mine, has the power to witness what the future may hold, and yet I've now got my hands on such information. And you are the reason for that, child."

Trigon reclaimed his throne, Beast Boy's wide eyes following him, his breath having a difficult time reaching down to his lungs.

"Why do I abstain from destroying you now? Because I've seen what will happen. I've seen my mistakes, and I've seen my enemies. I've the power to bring the entire universe to its knees, to burn everything that may get in my way. And that shall include you, child."

Trigon's ear flicked, a large grin spreading across his face.

"I shall let you live, because you deserve nothing less. Your eyes shall continue to see, until only the destruction you will be guilty of causing can be remembered.

"You shall live until I see it fit for you to die."

**XxX**

Warm as a campfire morphing into glacial cold in a heartbeat. Yep, seems about right.

That just feels like something Trigon would do. Show gratitude with what could be conceived as the complete opposite. I mean, the kid did the guy a huge solid, and that's how he's planning on repaying him?

If you picked up on what was happening with Raven, 'grats. If not, then you'll have to wait till next chapter. Chances are you'll have it figured out by then anyway, given my schedule. That is, if I managed to actually drop in enough hints towards what I'm getting at. I don't know.

Anyway, if you see any mistakes please let me know. I made an attempt at editing, but there's always the little things that can slip past the process.

Till next chapter .o/

_**X**_


	12. Chapter 10 - Tough Love

_Might as well update. It's Christmas, isn't it? By the way, unless you want to get a severe detour, I would suggest you skip down to the big 'anyway'. Otherwise, enjoy me popping a vein over a review. Warning: It's pretty long, and I am not kind. It was a bad day, and I'm not in the mood for editing.  
_

_I hate Christmas._

* * *

Before I start, I'm going to reply to a review. I know I've said in the past that I'm not going to do this in the author's notes anymore, but this one has annoyed me enough to warrant a breaking of that rule. Let it be known, Puzzle Puncher, that I would have given you the courtesy of a kind response if you'd given me the courtesy of leaving an account to PM. If I'm so intimidating that you feel the need to close yourself off to all discussion of the topic, don't bother with the review. Otherwise all it does is eat away at confidence and use room that constructive criticism could be taking.

I'll get to my point later. For now, I _just gotta_ say this.

First off, I have to assume that you're completely neurotic when it comes to guessing games. Otherwise why leave a paragraph length complaint about it? But I'm not here right now to dwell on that. It's what you say near the beginning of your review that rubs me the wrong way.

I quote, or copy and paste: '[A story with a shapeshifting main character kinda requires you to inform people what he's shapeshifting into. Giving "cookies" for guessing may seem cute to you, but to most readers] **it is just going to be an annoying gimmick to beg for reviews without begging for reviews.'**

I put a lot of work into these chapters. I type my ideas, sometimes losing half of what has already been written when a new one is born. A review is the only reward, aside from follows and favourites, that I can honestly get for this, and even when I leave a reminder in the final author's note, I do **not** beg for reviews.

Let's play another guessing game, shall we? I know you suck at them, but I'll make it super easy, just for you. What do you call it when an author writes a story, uploads the first chapter, and then demands that there be a certain number of reviews before another one is posted? And furthermore, what can it be called when that happens consistently throughout the tale?

That is what you call...begging for reviews! Good job! Now, what is my upload schedule? Whenever I can pull my concentration together long enough to spew forth more crap onto the keyboard. The next chapter is written, it's released into the wild that is this website, no other criteria having to be met. That is not, if the peanut overheating in your skull is having trouble keeping up, begging for reviews.

I can think, off the top of my head, of three different authors that pull that sort of shit. And they're all a fuck of a lot more popular than I am. From time spent here rather than talent, I'll just throw that one out there.

I will concede to one of your points. Suggesting a guessing game to disguise the use of a cliff-hanger may be stupid and childish, but so is FanFiction. And you wanna know why I'm so annoyed at your superiority complex? First off, it's clashing with mine, but I'll ignore that for now and let you in on a little secret.

The chapter in question, which was number three, has amassed a total of sixteen reviews. On the higher end of the median, I admit. But the funniest part about it? Only a few more than _half, _a percent somewhere above_ 50_, mentioned the guessing game at all. And every single one that did were from people who had reviewed previous chapters. Of which, if you're as bad at maths as you are guessing, there were two.

Also, you're the only person so far to have a problem at all, and apparently (with the magic of copy-paste), 'this isn't the first time you've' (I've) 'done something like that in this story.' You have a problem comprehending, that's on you, amigo. Not me. If you want an author that'll fly the little aeroplane of plot into your slack jawed face, you won't find them here. Sorry, not sorry.

Frankly, it's insulting. You think I'm just going to pull a make believe animal from my ass? (Copy-paste: Beast Boy isn't limited to normal OR Earth animals, and possibly not even to REAL animals). Yeah huh. OK. 'Falling Earthwards in a flash of green, a Gryndelshrek was suddenly above the ship.' Have _some_ faith. I'm saving that sort of crap for the April Fool's update. (Copy-Paste) 'it's hard to focus on what's happening when it isn't CLEAR what's happening.' You hit the word limit on your review or something? Give me an example next time. That or put on your glasses.

Long story short, I thank you for the advice you've so graciously given me. I doubt you'd bother reading this chapter, given your grievances, but thanks a whole bunch, pal. You know, I _beg_ that any _**review**_ you leave in the future is with an **_account_**. Contrary to popular belief, not many people enjoy wading through this shit to get to the story.

* * *

_**ANYWAY.**_

Last time I'm saying it, if you have a question, make sure you've got an account. It costs nothing to make one, and if you're reading this then you have no excuse. Don't expect a response from now on if all you've got is 'Guest'. I won't bite, so long as you're logged in. I won't bite at all, actually, unless you want me to.

Unfortunately, there won't be any guessing games from now on. Don't blame me, they confuse people. And yes, please figure out what begging for reviews means before accusing people. Assuming will make an ass out of you, whilst I stand to the side shaking my head because I'm perfect.

If you can't feel the sarcasm through the screen, I think it's time for you to leave this story and find something shiny to entertain yourself with.

**XxX**

_Chapter ten - Tough Love_

Was it possible for the temperature to drop in someone's mind?

Beast Boy fought against the knot in his throat, his shoulders shaking with every unstable breath.

He felt sick. Horrified.

Guilty.

"It can not be helped, unfortunately." Trigon commented idly, his smile showing more teeth than necessary. "Nothing you do can change destiny, and yet you try so hard for the opportunity. There are those more powerful than you who would have already given up."

Beast Boy ran a hand down his face, willing some saliva back into his dry mouth. His body was begging to sag to the ground; to admit defeat and save the trouble that was likely to come.

His mind wasn't listening.

"It is always the foolish that believe they have strength." Trigon shifted in his seat, draping one leg over the other as a therapist would with their patient. "Those without power so desperate to use it. You really are no different."

The lightning bolt struck; realisation or idea, he didn't have a clue.

"...Shut up."

His voice strained his throat, a glare that had no business on his face appearing there. Raising his head, he locked eyes with the demon before him, his teeth bared in a snarl.

Mento had always taught him to never show the enemy weakness. Granted, the teacher probably didn't think that lesson would carry over to a confrontation with the Devil, but the principles remained.

He was scared. Trigon knew he was scared.

But it still took bravery to be a super hero.

"You're talking to me about strength? How stupid do you think I am?" His gambit was poorly thought out, he knew. But that didn't alter his decision.

Choosing a small stone no more than a foot away, Beast Boy swung his leg, sending the stone rocketing towards the demon before him with considerable speed.

The projectile slammed into Trigon's knee, the demon automatically bringing a clawed hand down to the offended area with a wince.

"Talk all you want, but you can't make me forget that you've stolen a body." Beast Boy straightened up, leveling Trigon's hate-filled glare with one of his own. "No villain has nothing to hide when they run their mouth as much as you do."

"Brat!" Trigon roared, Beast Boy failing to flinch as a hand twice the size of his body began bearing down on him. "You dare lay a hand on me!?"

"When Raven uses her powers, she gets tired after a while." Beast Boy's hand contorted, the diamond-hard claws of The Beast raking along the palm that was closing around him, leaving deep black tears their path. "She got them from you, didn't she?"

Trigon howled as he brought his hand back, his eyes widening as he stared at the cuts in disbelief.

This...this _mortal_ injured him!?

"How difficult is it to keep yourself in someone's head, against their will? Causing them pain, fighting every attempt they make to get you the _fuck_ out?" Beast Boy growled, his body remaining human even as he stretched his claws. "Do you get tired, maintaining a spell like that?"

Trigon sneered, both injured and uninjured hands curling into fists. "You're destined for failure!"

"I'm a Teen Titan." The forbidden door gave a brief glow, going unnoticed by all, save the stone guardians. "You know, first hand, that destiny doesn't mean a damn thing against us. So, I'll tell you one more time; get out of Raven's head, or I will force you out."

Trigon's eyes flashed red, a feral snarl mangling his lips as Beast Boy's other arm began mutating.

**XxX**

"Raven, hold your damn horses! I'm taking you to the medical bay, which in case you've forgotten, is the other way!"

"I'm fine. I just need to check something. It was...a dizzy spell."

"Dizzy spell my _ass_, Rae." A metallic hand clamped down on her shoulder, enough force being exerted to stop her in her tracks whilst avoiding pain. "I wasn't going to say anything, 'cause I didn't think it was any of my business. But you've been acting weird, and blacking out in the middle of my garage doesn't strike me as being fine!"

Raven glowered at the older teenager, briefly attempting to fight her way out of his clearly superior physical strength. "Let me go, Cyborg. I've more important things to do than sit around a medical bay."

Cyborg studied Raven's sour face, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "You know more than you're telling me."

Biting back an offensive remark, Raven finally succeeded in fighting her way out of his grasp, stumbling slightly as he released her. "Of course I do; I don't need to tell anyone anything."

Her cloak billowing out behind her as she spun around, Raven once again began making her way down the hallway, pausing briefly to allow the heavy footsteps to catch up.

"I'm not-"

"I know." Cyborg interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're not going to the medical bay. We're going to your room. And don't even think for a second that I'm not coming with you."

The headache assaulting her brain flared once more, a brand new tempo beating a tattoo into her mind.

"You...fine. But not a word of this will ever be spoken to the others, is that clear?"

Cyborg narrowed his eyes, the mechanical half of his brain registering the systematic clenching of her teeth, in unison with her heartbeat.

"Crystal. Lead the way."

**XxX**

Beast Boy drew in a breath, swallowing the air down in an attempt to take his fear with it. None of the Doom Patrol's training had ever prepared him for this sort of situation.

He'd known Trigon would eventually be one of his opponents. A life free of the bastard was reserved for residents of another universe, one devoid of his presence. For that exact reason, Mento had given him a golden idea for the situation.

_"Follow the script."_

Trigon had been defeated before. True, he'd had next to nothing to do with it, but that wasn't the important part.

There was a stencil; a script that he could follow for the same results.

At first, he'd been thrilled. Of course, those plans had come crashing down to Earth, the exact second he'd woken up in that bed. The worst thing they could ever overlook, and like a moth to a insect zapper he'd flown blindly towards the light, failing to notice how deadly the action would be until it was far too late.

He wasn't sure how those events had eventually led him into a glaring match with said Trigon, the nails of one hand dripping with liquid that didn't belong to him, but apparently that was just the luck of his draw.

Briefly, the hope of it washing off without the requirement of magic flashed through his mind. How would he explain that one to his friends?

A deep rumble interrupted his thoughts, sending his body crouching low to the ground and his attention skywards.

Was Trigon...laughing? Was it something he thought?

"I was correct about you." The demon commented, the still dripping wounds on his palm sealing themselves. "You mask your fear with bravery, and one small victory makes you believe the world can be yours. You remind me of so many that have descended to my realm."

Without warning, Trigon's large body became enveloped in a harsh crimson glow, his eye sockets discernible through the new illumination as two empty, black caverns.

"My power runs thin, as the Gem approaches." The bright shape before him was shrinking, horns sinking back into Trigon's skull as the demon's body began to take a far more feminine shape. "My attention shall remain on this world. You've intrigued me, more so than any mortal should."

With a howl that didn't belong in any holy realm, the last shadow of Trigon's presence melting from Raven's mind, leaving Beast Boy to catch a slowly awakening Rage before she could crumble to the ground.

**XxX**

Cyborg stood still in the doorway leading to Raven's room, his wide eyed stare shifting from wall to wall.

He'd only seen the inside of Raven's room a handful of times, but it hadn't always been this dirty, had it?

"I've found it." Raven announced, standing beside...how in the Hell did she get that dresser through the wall? Did she have any idea what they were made of?

Cyborg scowled darkly, setting a reminder that it was time to go fishing for more destroyed alien ship.

His train of thought was derailed, sailing into the abyss that was his memory files as his own reflection stared at him with wide eyes.

"I'll try to catch you."

"What, wh-" A black tentacle wrapped itself around Cyborg's head, the large man giving an ear splitting shriek as he was pulled into the mirror.

Raven groaned, rubbing her head, despite the fact that her headache had more or less dissolved the second she'd touched the portal.

She could almost _feel_ the questions that Cyborg was going to demand answers for.

**XxX**

"She doesn't know."

Beast Boy's neck twitched, the only indication he'd heard Rage as he continued to stare at the forbidden door.

"Glaring won't open it. I've tried."

Beast Boy's eyes narrowed, as though to test if her words were valid.

"Raven thinks about you every time she undresses."

Beast Boy choked, spinning around to stare at the crimson cloaked girl behind him. Rage's eyes flicked upwards, deep red irises staring at him through purple lashes.

Her tongue snaked back into her mouth, retreating from its previous position of over the angry red marks on her hand. "Paying attention now, are we?"

"I..." Words failing him, Beast Boy's eyes fell down to the hand she still held before her, his eyes tracing the pronounced lines running across her palm.

Guilt immediately pooled in his stomach, his eyes refusing to leave the lines even as he swallowed. He'd known, the body housing Trigon's conscious didn't belong to the demon. And yet, he'd attacked anyway.

"I'm sorry."

Rage raised an eyebrow, following Beast Boy's gaze down to her hands. Slowly, she brought the offended area to her face, her expression remaining neutral even as her tongue slowly reemerged from her mouth.

Beast Boy's eyes widened as Rage once again trailed saliva down the scars left behind, his throat painfully dry as their gazes locked. With a small moan, her tongue reached the pad of her index finger, the digit almost disappearing into her mouth.

Rage slowly lowered her hand, running her tongue across her bottom lip. Bringing it to a rest upon a canine, she closed her mouth, staring at Beast Boy through lidded eyes.

"You did what you had to do." Her voice sounded exactly like Raven's, a fact Beast Boy could only idly acknowledge as she moved closer, until no more than a few inches separated their faces. "And I never said I didn't like it."

Beast Boy gulped harshly as Rage reached towards him, taking his chin between thumb and forefinger. He was confused, though that could not stop the stab of pleasure that swept through his body as exotic red eyes peered up into his through their purple curtains.

All he could do was pray to whatever Gods had forsaken him earlier that Rage failed to notice just how aroused her actions had made him.

"He's still there." She murmured, meeting no resistance as she tilted his head slightly to the side. "I can feel him, in my mind. But...it's different."

Her breath felt warm in his ear, her mouth closing the last of whatever distance had been between them.

"It's not just him. I can feel...anything. Everything."

Beast Boy shivered, his eyes closing of their own volition as his head was rotated back towards Rage, her lips just barely brushing against his...

Behind him, someone cleared their throat, the loud noise startling Beast Boy enough to make him jump, spinning around even as he put more than a meter between himself and Rage in record time.

He couldn't tell which was worse; the way Raven's fists shook as she glared at her emotion, or the small hiccups Cyborg would release every second around the hand that was failing to muffle the noise.

**XxX**

Cyborg glanced around the rocky terrain, the desire to scan around for any hidden cameras almost overwhelming. It felt like he'd involuntarily wandered onto a set for one of those Japanese game shows Starfire loved to watch.

The transition from daylight to having no sun in the sun hadn't elicited too much thought. His systems had crashed before, but having Raven marching away from him across a...floating rock had woken him up enough to realise the two of them were walking along a series of _floating rocks_.

Finding the second Raven had almost sent him stumbling off the edge of the rock.

He wasn't sure if the conversation was one he should have been privy to, but he'd heard everything that was said either way. Nearing the end of their exchange, his attention had been drawn fully, hearing the name of his little brother whilst the Raven with a pink cloak was busy waving her arms.

"He's at the forbidden door! But Beasty is there with him too!" 'Beasty'? Oh, he'd have to remember that one.

The alarm had spread across Raven's face, switching to dread under his discrete eye. Whoever this 'he' was, it couldn't have been good.

Leaving Raven's clone, whom he'd dubbed 'Happy', to wave an arm desperately towards the stone path, Raven had taken off, Cyborg forced to increase his pace to a sprint to keep up.

Their journey had been loud, every question that had been built up shooting from his mouth.

Inside her mind? Clones to represent every emotion that has been kept locked away? This mysterious 'he' getting loose and wreaking havoc within her mind, causing her turmoil in every day life?

He chose to accept her words. The evidence was right in front of his face.

And he didn't want to be left behind if he managed to annoy her in any way.

Despite all the hardships (those strange birds he'd strayed a little too close to flashed through his mind, almost making him wince), he couldn't help but feel it was all worth it, because the sight before him now was extremely satisfying, on more than one level.

All the money he could have made off so many bets melted into nothingness as Beast Boy leapt from a red-cloak version of Raven, though the laughter escaped his mouth regardless.

All he had to do was colour the cloak and eyes, and every picture that had been snapped by his mechanical eye would become premium blackmail material.

"What the Hell," Raven seethed, her eyes glowing completely black, "are you doing to him!?"

Beast Boy backed away slowly as Raven reached Rage, the emoticlone raising an uninterested brow as Raven grabbed the front of her cloak.

"You're not Lust." Raven growled, her voice not quite low enough to evade Beast Boy's ears. "And even if you were, what gives you the right-"

"He doesn't know." Rage muttered, her voice as low as Raven's. Raising her volume, her eyes traveled to the pair of boys standing a considerable distance away, a smirk playing across her face.

"I'm just a bad girl, I thought you already knew that?"

Raven snarled something unprintable, seeming to contemplate what to do with her hands as they dropped from Rage's cloak. Seemingly deciding against choking the unruly emotion, she turned briskly towards the forbidden door, the pair of guards stepping to the side with a wave of her hand.

"We're leaving." She called over her shoulder, the large stone doors moving in tandem with her hands as she drew them close to her body.

Sharing a glance with the shorter boy, Cyborg stepped past Rage, not even drawing the emoticlone's gaze as he made his way to the portal. Beast Boy took a step after him, freezing as he felt something warm enclose around his wrist.

"He left too quickly." Rage whispered hurriedly into his ear, her change of tone forcing Beast Boy's eyes to hers. For the first time, she looked unsure.

Scared.

"He wasn't thorough." Beast Boy distracted raised an index finger in Cyborg's direction, the universal sign for 'give me a second here'.

"He left, but he didn't clear his memories."

A lump of ice slid into Beast Boy's stomach, his knees shaking slightly from the cold.

"Raven doesn't know, and I'm not going to tell her. Just..."

Rage's tongue darted out to wet her lips, and after a second of hesitation, she shot forward, standing on her toes as she pecked Beast Boy on the cheek.

She probably wouldn't get another chance, and with what her father was planning...

"Be careful." She muttered, pushing against his shoulder with both hands, sending him stumbling towards a visibly smirking Cyborg and very flushed Raven.

**XxX**

I wanted to make the chapter a little longer, as both an apology for the rant at the top and as a present, because it's Christmas. At least, where I live, it was Christmas five hours ago. It was fun. Great. Had a bit of eggnog, tolerated being in the presence of people I dislike for various reasons...It was great.

Also, there's been a lot of requests for more BBRae. It's like trying to kick a goal in soccer, or football, whatever, but you miss the goal entirely and hit someone who's been shouting racist things the entire match. It's satisfying, and something probably broke, but you still missed the goal. Ah well. All in good time. After all, I'm the only one out on the field.

See a mistake, please tell me. It's not been edited, because Christmas.

See you next update. Don't expect anything for New Years; I don't plan on being conscious for half of it. Till next time .o/

_**X**_


	13. Chapter 11 - Crimson Confines

I honestly don't know what to say here. I just don't.

It hit me when I was looking at the statistics for this story. I honestly never thought it would be something special, maybe just something that a few people would follow and laugh at and be entertained by, but in the end that's where it would stop.

But no, after my rant last chapter and the reviews I received afterwards, I think I actually realised just how amazing you people are. Not only is this story a part of a community (which is a really big deal, that means someone really liked it), I am averaging close to fifteen reviews per chapter. That's just absurd; I've seen stories with more chapters than this one have less than fifteen. And the follows and favourites?

I just... massive, absolutely ginormous shoutouts go to CleoArrow, MontyDragon, Based Bobcat, Green Bunny, JasonVUK and everyone else who's been here, encouraging me with your words and enjoying my work since the beginning, or since reading this. I honestly don't think I can put my gratitude to all of you into words.

Also, before we get to the chapter? Happy Birthday to me, enjoy my present to you all because I apparently don't know how this works!

**XxX**

_Chapter eleven - Crimson Confines_

Why, oh why, did the universe have to hate his sleep so much?

Beast Boy yawned, lifting his head from his pillow as his eyelids parted slightly. Inching himself into a sitting position, he pawed at the table he'd set up beside his bed, struggling slightly to keep his eyes open as he searched blindly for the source of his awakening.

His communicator trilled happily, laying barely out of his wandering hand's range. A fist slamming down beside it and a curse later, it had hit the floor, its tune muffled slightly as it played through the cold metal.

The week that had followed his little romp through his teammate's mind had been, in a word, tiring. Half a fortnight, a full seven days and nights of the nightmares that were villains and Robin's...'improved' training schedules. He'd already lost enough sleep, trying to figure out if it was possible to bar an all powerful demon from accessing his thoughts.

Had there been progress made? Who knew?

Feeling the bones in his neck creak as he tilted his head, Beast Boy pushed himself away from his mattress, wrapping one of his newly grown tentacles around his communicator. Rubbing the crust from his eyes, he flipped it open, squinting through the sudden intrusive light to read whatever was deigned so important it had to be sent at...two in the morning?

Briefly, the possibility of it being Raven entered his mind, only to leave in almost the exact same second.

Even after a week, she was too embarrassed to say anything further than a simple, "hello," every now and again. Deciding to listen to his often dead common sense, he'd left her alone; though that could have been due to the fact that he had no idea what he could possibly say to her, and every single time they would find themselves alone with one another somebody always seemed to be on the other side of a nearby door.

Oh, it was from his leader, the resident insomniac. What a surprise.

_My office, as soon as possible. Make sure you're alone._

...Unexpected.

Finally throwing the covers from his body, Beast Boy hauled himself to his feet, stumbling to keep his center of gravity above sea level. Dropping his communicator unceremoniously beside a wooden doll replica of himself with a half hearted glare of disdain, he turned to the wall, mumbling complaints about birds and booty calls as he tottered towards his wardrobe.

If there was one thing he would be forever grateful for, there was no doubt in his mind that knowledge would be the first thing he would choose.

Receiving the puppets themselves had been just as thrilling as it had the first time. The amount of detail that had gone into all the minute measurements alone was honestly staggering. Still, the feeling was ruined ever so slightly, knowing something straight out of a horror movie was planning on voodooing them into submission.

Though knowing it was a ploy made by an evil doll, rather than a project made by an obsessed fan, somehow made the prospect of opening the package somewhat less scary.

He was allowed to hit an evil doll if it got too close for comfort. No, he was encouraged.

That had been just one of his many late nights that week, though the first that had been born out of necessity. He'd take the feeling of being tired over the feeling of being a few inches tall any day.

Things had gone a little awry, when the outer smoke detectors had started shrieking after his incredibly brief battle against the Puppet something or other.

Nobody had questioned why he'd felt the need to ignite a bonfire that night. Or where the wood had even come from in the first place.

The marshmallows that had been cooked over his enemies burning, wooden body had been some of the sweetest he'd ever tasted.

Beast Boy paused, closing his wardrobe door slightly so he could bring his mirror into view.

"Am I a good person?" His reflection stared blankly, its head slowly shaking back and forth.

Beast Boy nodded, his reflection losing interest in him incredibly quickly as he turned back to scour the wardrobe.

He wasn't a person, he was an animal.

Stepping forth to reach deeper into the murky depths, Beast Boy's knee connected with thin air, almost causing him to stumble. Shouldn't there be...

No, wait. He'd already moved the box of communicators to Robin's room, as a present of sorts. He'd more or less completely forgotten why he'd had it in the first place.

The first withdrawal had been made from the box yesterday, come to think of it.

Fishing a shirt that could be considered passable from as far as he could reach, Beast Boy threw it over his head, almost gagging as the vile scent entered his nose. Coughing louder than any noise that should be legal two hours after midnight, he was already beside his bed, emptying what was left of his deoderant into a somewhat decent cloud.

Meeting Aqualad for the second time had been fun. Sure, they'd been in a deep sea trench with an insane army of fishmen shooting at them with forks. Considering what he'd been through, the experience had been something he'd be comfortable with calling simple entertainment.

Not nearly enough explosions for his liking, though.

Aqualad's head had even seemed deflated, compared to last time. Or...was it?

Oh well, not important. The events may have been somewhat tedious, but they were tolerable. Nothing had come at him out of the blue, literally or figuratively.

Except...

Beast Boy glanced down at his communicator, his eyes no longer watering. Why would his leader be requesting him this late? Alone, no less? Maybe he just dialed the wrong number...

Well, there was no point in standing around, trying to figure out how many letters separated B and S.

Silencing any further unwanted noises with the push of a button, Beast Boy dropped the communicator into his pocket, taking a moment to ensure the corridor was deserted before stepping out of his room.

**XxX**

Was their budget large enough to hire an interior decorator?

Beast Boy stalked down the last necessary hallway on his journey, the small paws of the feline he'd chosen to transform into making absolutely no noise as he crept through his home. So far, he'd spotted fifty seven discolourations on the walls, as well as seven small dents.

And nothing else. At all.

Metal was cool and all, but there was only so far Beast Boy could walk before the repetition became tedious. Wasn't Robin the son of the human embodiment of a bank? How much could a few picture frames cost?

Oh, look. He was at Robin's room.

Shifting back to human, Beast Boy tapped against the blank metal with a claw, the noise muffled slightly by the glove covering his hand.

"Enter." The word sounded as though it were whispered, inaudible to anyone who wasn't him. So there hadn't been a mistake made.

Inching the button for the door into the wall, Beast Boy stepped into the awaiting darkness, a single lamp atop a desk being all that illuminated the way.

Not that he really needed the assistance, but it was appreciated nonetheless.

Robin glanced up from behind the desk, his hands on either side of the paper he appeared to have been studying.

"You wanted to see me, dude?" Beast Boy crossed his arms, allowing himself to fall against a portion of the newspaper clippings taped behind him. The point of whispered tones and sneaking through shadows had passed; every bedroom in the building was on the opposite end of the tower.

"I did." Robin straightened up, his face completely neutral behind his mask. "I'm kind of surprised you're here right now, though. Couldn't you sleep?"

"Uh..." His pocket suddenly felt heavier, the object within trying to weigh him down with its guilt. "Something like that."

Robin nodded, lowering himself into the chair behind his desk. Acknowledging the invitation, Beast Boy kicked off the wall, claiming the seat opposite his leader as his own.

The silence was short lived; louder than anything else in the tower.

"I've got a mission for you." Robin scooped a piece of paper - newspaper, Beast Boy noted - from his desk, glancing down at it briefly. "And you may not like it, which is why I'm giving you the option to say no."

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow, his eyes flicking down to read the title of whatever story Robin had felt the need to brutalise the morning paper for.

Unless his mission had something to do with the winning goal of whatever sport had been airing last night, he wasn't looking at the right side.

"You're gonna tell me what it is, right?" Beast Boy scanned the desk before him, a rough sketch of distantly familiar shapes amongst the general clutter. "Because I don't want to say yes and end up baby sitting in the old folk's home, or something."

"No. Well, yes, but it's worse than that."

Not seeming to notice as Beast Boy's head snapped towards him, a look of pure horror crossing his green face, Robin flipped the newspaper clipping around, scowling slightly as he read the scores on the other side.

**'Deathstroke the Terminator strikes once more, Steel City no longer considered safe.'**

Beast Boy's eyes widened on their own accord, flickering between the article's title to the large photograph directly below it. He'd never heard the name before, but there was no mistaking that mask. Not with only one eye hole.

"We are a target for Slade. We've known that for a while." Robin closed his fist over the paper, dropping the now crinkled page onto the desk. "I'd never heard of a Slade before, but Deathstroke is another story."

Beast Boy leant back in his chair, fighting down a sigh.

"Intimidation, theft, murder." Robin hunched his shoulders, his posture far beyond his years. "You name it; if it's on the wrong side of the law, he's done it. And for whatever reason, he wants something else with Jump that has nothing to do with us, aside from our heads."

Shuffling through the objects hiding his desk's surface, Robin unearthed a simple notepad, holding it out for Beast Boy to examine.

The malformed triangles reminded him of something he'd seen so long ago. Their first brush with utter defeat; the bitter taste of betrayal tainting the air of the tower.

"How did you find out about this?" This wasn't right. Wherever the first chip was being held, it hadn't been attacked. At least, the Titans hadn't gotten word of any less than savory activities... in that particular building.

"That's one of the reasons we're here right now." Robin snorted, adjusting the lamp away from his face. "Anonymous tip-off. The warehouse that the call came from has apparently been abandoned for a few months, but when I checked it out there was more tech on one wall than Cyborg put in the entire tower."

"So, a prank caller who just got pretty damn lucky..."

"Or," Robin continued Beast Boy's train of thought, a frown tugging at his lips. "A trap. One that could be set up for any time and any place. For all we know, we've already walked into it."

Beast Boy opened his mouth, his words dying in his throat. He wanted to deny his leader's words, to claim paranoia. This hadn't happened last time.

None of this had happened last time. This meeting. Trigon. Hell, at this point Warp had probably already popped a blood vessel over Beast Boy's complete disregard of his wishes.

...Shit. Warp had wanted him to do something, hadn't he?

"Maybe... he's got an assistant that's sick of him." Beast Boy raised a finger, ticking off the steps of the hypothetical plan playing through his mind. "They place the call, run, and hope we're enough to bring him down?"

"That was one of my first ideas, too." Robin opened a drawer near his feet, rummaging through the contents. "At first, I thought it might even be plausible."

"We can't go up against Slade without a plan and expect to come out on top." The words had left Beast Boy's mouth before he could stop them, not that Robin seemed to have noticed.

"That's the thing, Beast Boy." Robin finally found what he was searching for, a black and red suit held in one hand, mask resembling a skull in the other. "I have a plan, and you're the best person for the job."

Beast Boy eyed the costume, a distinct feeling of 'not liking where this was going' pooling in his stomach. Easily discernible through all the confusion.

"If he's trying to guide us into a trap, he won't see the one we're setting for him." Robin placed the mostly pale helmet on the desk, rotating it until it was facing his company. "I suppose, before you answer my question, I should ask one of my own.

"How good of a thief are you?"

**XxX**

"I trust the call has been made?"

Numerous screens flickered across the wall as Brother Blood's eyes narrowed, an expression of great familiarity to all present underneath the city.

All those still in control of their own motor functions, at the very least.

"Yes, the call has been made. I'm confined to this damn lair, what would possibly distract me from placing the call?"

Unseen from his position facing the wall, Slade's single eye rotated in its socket, every pixel dying before him with a flick of his finger.

"Complaining is very unbecoming of a headmaster." The remote left his grip with force, its flight path interrupted with a clang of plastic against metal. "Besides, you get unrestricted access to the television."

"That's beside the point, and no amount of colourful pictures could make me forget that I am hiding in a sewer with a madman!" Small pebbles of rubber groaned, their dark shell tightening in the grip of an irritated cyborg. "I thought you were the best in the business; this place is literally being held together with feces!"

"Now now. I am not mad."

Brother Blood snorted, his joints mysteriously silent as his arms crossed over his chest.

"You're right. Mad leaves my meaning open to interpretation. You're insane."

"That's highly uncalled for. I've housed you-"

"Against my will."

"You're getting payment for it. I've fed you-"

"The food was actually quite nice, thank you."

"You're welcome." Slade casually strolled from the wall, his hands joining behind his back as he passed his company. "Also, new orders have arrived. You're to return to your post within the academy and resume regular business. Should the service of you or your lackeys be required, you are expected to obey."

Brother Blood's eyes followed Slade's progress, the mechanical portion of the duo whirring quietly as it focused on the man's opulent throne, which really had no right to exist within a giant clock, especially when it itself was within a sewer.

Who built this place?

His voice was hesitant, both human and gadget parts alight with suspicious delight. "I can leave?"

"Yes, unless you'd rather remain with m-"

Quicker than Slade's eye could follow, Brother Blood was marching towards the door, everything left of the remote laying in what could only be described as a pile of plastic debris, with wiry finisher.

"...That was quite rude. At least you'll never leave me like that, Cinderblock."

The stone abomination, previously ignored in his position beside the assassin's throne, glanced down, grumbling low in his throat as he turned to the destroyed remote.

He could just watch the wall all day, but it was far more entertaining when there was pictures on it...

**XxX**

Moving the plot along. Heave, ho! Heave, ho!

This is a relatively short chapter, and I really have no business writing today of all days, but I don't really care about either.

I don't see any reason to add anything down here. Chapter. Boom. Hopefully you likey. Bit of a time skip. Didn't feel like covering the Aqualad or Puppet King episodes. My story, I can do that. Also, closed a plot hole that I totally forgot about earlier in the fic, which nobody seemed to pick up on but I did it anyway. People stopped caring about what was in the box pretty quickly.

Yep, communicators. And there is a point to them, which will come later.

I'm gonna go eat my cake now. I don't care what time it is, it's always time for cake. Later .o/

_Small edit: fixed the ninth line up. I don't even know what happened to it. This computer, I swear..._

_**X**_


	14. Chapter 12 - High Security

I skipped time again. This is too much power.

It would be boring as Hell going through the details of three different heists, seeing as the method is pretty much the same each time. So have the end of the final one, two weeks after the meeting from last chapter.

Here I go, continuing my update-a-month schedule. I'm sure you're all thrilled.

**XxX**

_Chapter twelve - High Security_

His breath escaped in short gasps, irritation mixing with the faintest signs of exhaustion as he loosened his helmet for the third time that hour. Not daring to remove the suffocating head wear despite the stifling building, for fear of having missed the destruction of even one security camera, he forced a boot through the grate beneath his body, the already damaged metal crumbling under his superiour force and falling to the ground in a slightly singed pile.

Silently slipping from the vent, his feet connected silently beside his mess, nothing more than a shadow from the corner of the guard's vision as he crumbled to the ground, an X shaped shuriken planted delicately into the base of his neck.

The projectile clattered harmlessly to the ground as the paralytic poison coating the sharpened edges immediately took effect, the otherwise blunt piece of equipment quickly being smashed underfoot as the intruder leapt over the guard's prone body. He would be fine within the hour, nothing but a slight headache to hamper him for the rest of his shift.

_"This is a bad idea." Beast Boy's breath escaped as a hiss, his eyes lingering on that damn helmet that had once caused his team so much trouble, before traveling back to its maker. "No, this is a stupid idea. No, this is a stupidly bad idea!"_

Not making a sound as he tore down yet another corridor, the thief melted down on the spot, a green mosquito taking his place and buzzing unnoticed past the two employees that heading the opposite direction. They complicated things.

_"It's the best plan we've got." Robin slid the piece of headgear across the papers adorning his desk, not that his teammate made an attempt to take it from his hands. "We know what Slade is after, and getting them first is the only way we can get close!"_

Driving a fist into the single guard blocking his progress through the last door, the mysterious man clapped a hand across his mouth before any sound could be made, the oddly shaped blade in his hand rendering the gun that had been pointed towards him completely useless before turning to the door.

_"He's a mercenary, dude!" The back of Beast Boy's chair hit the ground as he stood abruptly, more than ready to storm his way back through the tower at his leader's blatant stupidity. "He's probably the most dangerous mercenary in the world! The Justice League hasn't managed to bring him in yet, and you want me to go off stealing from Wayne Enterprises so I can hang out with him in dark alleyways? Yep, sounds like a solid plan you got there!"_

Crimson light flooded the hallway as the thief planted his explosives, his rolling eyes hidden by his mask as he dragged the unconscious guard away from the blast zone. Almost chuckling at the panicked shouts of scientists over the grating klaxon, he detonated every shuriken that had been dug into the door's sturdy metal, barely giving the first concussive wave of noise time to pass before leaping through the haze.

_Robin leaned back in his chair, an eyebrow raised marginally in interest as Beast Boy finished his tirade. Silence reigned within the room as the Titans leader's eyes, hidden by his mask, drifted to the desk before him. Nowhere on his notes had it said anything about Wayne Enterprises. How had his teammate known?_

Extending an X shaped blade from the back of his glove, the hail of bullets fired haphazardly in his direction bounced harmlessly from his protected body, the weapon moving in the path to block the path between more than one stray projectile and the prone guard outside. One quick jab to the neck, the gun shattered with the flick of a cape, the light fading slowly from the room as he moved rapidly towards the reason he was even there.

_"Are you scared?" Deigning his other question unnecessary to ask, given he'd likely not get an answer that would change anything, he held his hands up in a placating manner as Beast Boy snorted, the green teenager turning back to the desk. "I'm not trying to mock you, it's an honest question. Are you scared? Because I can ask Raven to do this, she can probably wear the suit comfortably."_

Grabbing the oddly shaped computer chip, a compartment of his belt popped open, the specially designed and oddly shaped gadget slipping neatly in to join its sisters. One quick assurance of loneliness later, the suit had disappeared, a small green mouse easily squeezing through the bars of a ground mounted vent on the opposite side of the room.

_"There isn't very much that can scare me." The word 'anymore' felt like it belonged with that statement, not that Robin was planning on pointing that out. "But what are you asking me to do here? Lie to my friends, fight them? What if Slade sees through it, and trust me, he will. What am I supposed to do when I've got a dagger against my throat? We both know I'm not going to kill him, and you're not going to tell me to."_

Gaining the appropriate distance from the room he'd just vacated, the thief grew back into the existence, hunching over in the small metal compartment in concentration. He didn't know the exact direction he needed to travel to get out, per se, but how hard could it be? The air had to escape the building somehow, and if this one followed basic architecture he just had to go up.

_"We're not going to fight you." Robin pinched the bridge of his nose, not even having to look to know where Beast Boy's attention lay. "You're going to go on an extended mission, out of the country. It'll be a completely covert op straight from the Justice League, take about two weeks to complete, and I'm to be tasked with covering for you when it comes to the press and the team. I don't like lying to them, either. But we don't know where he is, so what else are we supposed to do?"_

The suit seemed to burst, disappearing from existence as the body underneath exploded into a small ocean of green insects. A few seconds of falling over one another and struggling to gain some room for themselves, every bug launched into the air, their back ends lighting and their wings beating the air as they took off to explore the maze they had found themselves in.

_A full twenty seconds of silence passed the two heroes, before Beast Boy sank back into his chair with a groan, rotating the helmet so its eyes were no longer facing him._

_"This is gonna get someone killed... Whatever, I'll do it. What am I stealing first, and when?"_

**XxX**

"Three times in the same month? Who is this guy!?"

Raven blinked as Cyborg continued his rather quiet tirade, finding herself quickly falling deeper into a pit of intense boredom. She'd already levitated the ruined doors to the side of the room for later inspection, a job that had been left for her to complete.

Cyborg had elected to help scour for any evidence that may have been left behind, keeping himself entertained with his ramblings about 'whodunits' and whether ghosts existed or not. Starfire had decided to accompany and assist Robin, the Boy Wonder using his time to interro- question the head of security for this particular branch of Wayne Enterprises.

"Seriously, I wanna know who this guy is." Cyborg announced, passing a plastic bag filled with strange, red metal to the member of the Jump City Police Department beside him. "Breaking into the second most secure building in Jump, stealing the most secure thing, and he didn't hurt anyone that badly. That takes skill."

The JCPD member gave Cyborg an odd look, before shaking his head and moving towards the room's exit.

"Careful, Cyborg." Raven reprimanded quietly as she took to the air, the cape flowing behind her as she levitated to his eye level. "You sound awed."

Cyborg threw a glance over his shoulder, a smirk spreading across his lips as her completely bored stare shifted from the wall to him.

"I am 'awed'." He announced, pulling his gloves off. There wasn't really any need to wear them, given his lack of fingerprints, but there was principal there. "Don't bother telling me you aren't. How long would you last if you were stealing from this place?"

Raven raised an eyebrow, waving a hand to the side of her body. Stepping through the portal she'd created, an identical circle of energy appeared beside Cyborg's head, the smirk upon his face spreading into a grin as she plucked something from his shoulder.

"Whatever, cheater."

"If you've got the tools, use them." Raven commented absently, turning her hand over as the small shape upon it scuttled to one side. The lighting in the room was horrendous, probably a result of more than the doors being damaged in whatever explosion had taken place, but even with only the dim, blue tinged globes in the walls to work with, the firefly that had now moved to her palm seemed...green.

A familiar green.

"I'm attracting bugs now?" Cyborg's face twisted, holding an arm to his face for dismayed inspection. "Great, I need to clean my parts out again. BB hears nothing about this, got it?"

Raven hummed, the noise making no promises. Watching with a blank face as the bug took to the air, she clicked her fingers, the firefly seeming to have no qualms against flying directly through the tiny portal she'd just opened.

"...Do you think he's alright?"

Cyborg's eyes flicked to the back of Raven's head, the girl having turned to examine the door once more. He'd be lying if he said he was more intrigued than worried; whatever had happened to Beast Boy whilst in Nevermore (as the two of them had taken to calling it), it had embarrassed her to no end. His best friend hadn't felt the need to detail the two sentences she'd stopped directing at him - on average per day - for the week long duration before his extended assignment, whilst his other best friend had started to remain in her room for an unhealthy amount of time every day. Her excursions to the land of the living had steadily been gaining minutes with every passing day, but even given that improvement, everyone in the tower had quickly noticed her already-minimal-though-now-severely-severed social time.

This was... surprising.

"I think he's fine." Cyborg answered slowly, swallowing silently as her body rotated towards him ever so slightly. "He wouldn't have been asked to do whatever he's doing if he couldn't handle it. And do you really think he cares about the 'secret' part of his mission? If he needed help, he'd call."

Raven inclined her head, a few strands of hair falling before her shadow-veiled eyes. A portal appeared beneath her feet, and Cyborg could only sigh quietly as she disappeared through it.

So, she'd noticed too. He'd found himself hoping she wouldn't.

Even if it was more zombie like than anything else, mistaking the genetic signature that had been scanned automatically as soon as it had taking refuge on his shoulder would have been impossible. The bug had flown directly into his face the second he walked into the room. The _flesh_ part of his face.

He knew Raven would keep her suspicions to herself, as would he. But there were still uncomfortable questions that he knew he'd have to end up asking. Why Beast Boy would consistently call from an abandoned apartment complex on the outskirts of town, why Robin thought his technical skills were good enough to hide that fact from him, and why nothing had alluded to a secret mission involving his little buddy when he'd _accessed_ the Justice League's network remotely.

Why would Beast Boy steal from Robin's former mentor, and why would Robin lie to them to cover up for him? His mechanical eye locked onto Robin's form, the Boy Wonder not looking even slightly frazzled as he received a recap of recent events from one of the conscious guards.

The next few weeks were going to be interesting, and he had the strangest feeling that he'd be little more than a spectator during them.

* * *

Floating from the portal that had been opened atop the roof, the firefly immediately shed altitude, its wings folding neatly against its body as it landed. Almost completely unnoticeable through the darkness, it scurried across the rooftop, wasting no time in joining the pile of tiny bodies stacked into one corner.

As soon as its little leg touched one of its companions, the pile heaved and shrank, forms melting and converging upon one another. In the blink of an eye, a lonesome fruit fly had taken to the air, all evidence of the previously present swarm vanishing without a trace.

The small, green insect swerved unexpectedly in midair, dipping low and disappearing over the lip of the building as a rift in space opened less than a meter in its flight path.

**XxX**

Thank God he'd remembered to leave his window open.

Beast Boy floated through the threshold of his dilapidated temporary hideout, his body reverting to human before he'd had a chance to touch down. Crashing face first on his already ruinous couch, he groaned in tune with the springs almost poking him in the stomach, waiting for his brain to realise that it was once again big enough to process all the memories he'd accrued as a swarm of fireflies in one of Jump City's largest buildings.

He would have bothered to make himself more comfortable, had the flood of brain activity not hit in that particular moment and almost forced his shitty dinner from a nearby gas station to make an encore appearance.

The process itself wasn't long nor arduous, thankfully. The pulsing headache that it would leave behind, however, was. He couldn't help but send a silent, golden hunk of gratitude towards the Doom Patrol, not that they'd know he did without being creepy. Had it been a year ago, when he'd first accidentally exploded into an entire swarm of summertime insects, he'd probably already be unconscious in a puddle of his own vomit.

That had been a _baaad_ day to be the Doom Patrol's hired help.

Once the world had stopped spinning, Beast Boy retrieved his communicator from his pocket, his arm flopping off the side of the couch and another groan leaving his lips. There was still a good twenty minutes until he could make the call to Slade, and as much as he was looking forward to seeing that fucking mask again, there was very little he could do that preserved the battery in his laptop.

He may need every minute of electricity, and he hadn't bothered to find a place that still had a steady supply of the stuff. Given that the entire plan was for his alter ego to become a criminal, he couldn't find any purpose behind locating anything of quality.

How there were places that failed to vault the bar he'd set in early childhood from the confines of his cage, he didn't want to know.

He could always try entertaining himself with his own thoughts, but the last couple of weeks had proven that to be a bad idea. Because his thoughts would sooner or later turn to Slade, and from there they'd start looking for the reason he hadn't tried to get rid of Slade whilst he was still with the Doom Patrol, and within minutes of that train of thought leaving the station he'd hear that damn voi-

**_"You should have let me kill him."_**

Beast Boy sighed. Typical, as soon as the thought of killing comes up...

"If I let you kill everyone you wanted to, we'd still be in that red-light district." Beast Boy spoke the words aloud, given that nobody could assume he was crazy for talking to himself if there was no one to hear him. And his head hurt too much to maintain the strain of a mental conversation.

**_"That little bastard stole your wallet!"_** His mind roared back, causing him to wince as the words echoed around in his still sore mind. **_"And we wouldn't have been there in the first place if you'd have listened to me, but nooooo, you just have to ignore everything I say!"_**

"That was training." Beast Boy pulled himself into a sitting position, yanking the helmet from his head as he did so. Damn, this costume left nothing to the imagination. "At least I think it was. And if you'd actually pay attention to the deal I made with you, I'd never have to deal with these situations."

**_"I get to experience the world through your senses, whilst you ignore the fact that I exist, I may add, and you get my form whilst maintaining control."_** The Beast's voice was higher pitched than normal, and Beast Boy could just feel the sour expression on his tenant's face. _**"Not that you're very good at using it."**_

"Given that it took me the close to a year to just get close enough to communicate, I would expect a little more respect from my own mind." Beast Boy flipped his communicator open, rolling his eyes as his company scoffed. "And it's not my fault that you get twitchy around blood."**  
**

_**"I just want to taste a little bit. A few drops. Is that too much to ask?"**_

"Until you start paying rent, yes it is." Beast Boy's eyes followed as a mosquito flew through his still open window, a dark shape lunging from behind the couch to catch it midair. "Actually, even with rent that's a little much. Isn't it enough that I broke my vegetarian vows for you?"

_**"You should be thanking me. For not killing you as soon as I got a taste of that tofu crap."**_

"Wouldn't that kill you as well, by proxy?"

The Beast was silent, though the hope of finally winning an argument against his own mind shouldn't even have bothered showing up for the playoffs.

_**"Worth it."**_

"Why did I have claw open that barrel of chemicals?" Beast Boy lamented, his headache finally starting to ebb. "Why couldn't they have been the good, old, explody kind?"

For a rare moment, the Beast laughed, the gruff and downright chilling sound echoing from its rather spacious confines. No matter what deal he managed to strike with him, Beast Boy would never let his inner demon have complete free will inside his own head.

The laughter finally died down, the apartment once more falling silent to Beast Boy's ears, save the odd hiss and the cracking of what he hoped wasn't small animal bones.

_**"You've yet to respond to me." **_The Beast informed him, its wolfish grin visible through his mind's eye. Or maybe it was just that obvious. **_"He may be revered, but he is only human. Why didn't you let me kill him? He'll only cause you trouble."_**

Beast Boy opened his mouth, the sarcastic reply completely ready to leap from his tongue before he stopped it. He could hear it in the echo of the Beast's voice, behind that satisfied grin and those ridiculously sharp teeth. Genuine curiosity, a trait he'd not yet come to associate with his freeloader.

The Beast _wanted_ to know. And he wasn't just demanding an answer, much like pretty much every other time he was ever contacted.

An alarm sounded from the table, breaking Beast Boy from his stupor as he automatically slid his helmet over his hair. Switching the built in voice modulator on, he paused, one hand halfway between himself and the laptop that sat upon the glorified rubble known as a coffee table.

"...I'm not you." The voice of Red X finally announced, the Beast not bothering to resist as the link it had forced open was closed just as suddenly.

**XxX**

I know it's been a while, but this chapter length if fine. Whatever helps me sleep at night, yeah.

I get that last time, the Titans had no idea who Red X was (the first time), but here I think the environment is different. Robin and Beast Boy have left evidence behind, (even though there's so little of it, because they're trying to get rid of any, Cyborg would have found it even if he was just going through the computer system out of sheer boredom. Given his gaming buddy is off on a 'mission' and he's obviously really damn good at using computers, I think that line of reasoning is, well, reasonable) and he's definitely smart enough to keep his mouth shut around the others, because something is obviously going on.

Raven is obviously different this time around as well, but how'd she figure it out? Well, I have an official reason, but I think it's more fun to let your imagination give you the answer. Oh, wait. No more guessing games, that's right. Actually, screw that rule. Rule overruled.

Meh. I'm nothing if not inconsistent.

I like to think that the Beast is clever when not enraged and covered in questionable chemicals. Or at the very least, cunning. I'm treating it a little like I occasionally write the Kyūbi, I guess. And if you got that reference, good for you. So did everyone.

I think I'll skip the convo about Red X and Slade meeting up, because how much can I really change about that? Oh, wait. EVERYTHING. Hah, no spoilers. But yeah, skipping it. Or not. I seriously don't know.

Any mistakes, let me know. Or, y'know, don't. *sniff* Meanie...

Peace out, my X-Dressing brethren!

_**X**_


	15. Chapter 13 - Secret Confessions

I'm planning on putting a new update schedule into place. It's going to consist of simply, 'only update when I have a chapter written for every current story.' In case you're wondering, that'll probably just slow the updates down even further, but I'm going to be getting a computer to myself soon, which will give me more opportunity to work without the threat of overheating.

So, pssshssshsshhshs. Basically.

PSA over, on with the story.

**XxX**

_Chapter thirteen - Secret Confessions_

_Splash._

Beast Boy groaned behind his mask, his already painfully slow progress coming to a halt once more. Pressing himself closer to the wall he'd been hugging, he tugged his boot from the putrid river beside him, his muffled cursing echoing through the many corridors of the sewage system.

The shoe reemerged with a sickening squelch, and Beast Boy briefly removed his helmet, intent on not splattering his infrared readouts with vomit.

"Why is it always the God damn sewers?" He grumbled to himself, locking the helmet with the rest of his suit and back over his skull with a hydraulic hiss. Taking a moment to praise the stale and recycled air that was once more flooding his lungs, his eyes flickered to the coordinates he'd been given, his journey around the next corner considerably more controlled.

* * *

_Beast Boy opened the lid of the laptop to a slit, a pale blue glow coming to life to wash over the table's cataclysmic surface. The device, an ancient model that was probably still worth more than the building he was squatting in, kicked itself to life, taking close to half a minute to splutter to life and allow him access to its desktop._

_Wishing he'd bothered to buy something capable of even dial-up, Beast Boy slipped a hand into his pocket, pulling a small flash drive to his eyes. He'd found it alongside the second chip he'd stolen, the golden 'S' that had been engraved on its side glistening slightly in the computer's light._

_Slade was more on top of the city than the Titans were. What a terrifying thought._

_Reaching for the laptop, Beast Boy prepared himself for escape should it be necessary, his legs braced against the floor to throw himself backwards and over the couch. Two attempts to jam the USB unceremoniously into the computer's single port and one rotation later, he found himself staring at a loading screen, the lone bar at the bottom crawling ridiculously slowly from one side of the screen to the other._

_Beast Boy leaned back as something started whirring, an idle sigh escaping his-_

* * *

_Splash._

"WHO HOLDS A MEETING IN THE FUCKING SEWERS!?" Beast Boy exploded, yanking his grimy foot out of the waste once more and kicking the wall beside him with it. More waste than what could be considered feasible erupted from his foot as it made contact, sending the cursed liquid forth to cover whatever it could touch. Including himself.

He could have sworn he'd heard a quiet chuckle from deeper into the tunnel.

Beast Boy growled incomprehensibly, his footsteps louder than any self respecting ninja would allow. He desperately needed a distraction.

What had he been thinking about, again...?

* * *

_The computer screamed, presumable in pain, as the new information flooded into its hard drive. Beast Boy snapped himself back to attention, his very suddenly wide domino mask meeting half of a bored stare._

_Slade blinked - or did he wink? - as the helmeted thief delved into a violent coughing fit, nothing but a glove visible from the laptop's webcam as he fell off the couch._

_Red X poked his head up a few seconds later, looking remarkably composed to anyone who didn't know he had just muted himself through his voice modulator._

_Come to think of it, Slade probably did know. Creepy bastard._

_"Coordinates are en route for a meeting I am calling between us." A dagger flew through apartment's open window, burying itself up to the paper that was tied around its hilt into the cushion Beast Boy's head had been resting upon earlier. "I hope your suit has GPS. Come alone."_

_The screen flickered to black, Beast Boy pulling the dagger free from the couch with hesitant and slightly shaking hands._

_"...Does the suit have GPS?" He wondered aloud, deciding not to dwell on the fact that a large knife had been thrown through the window. Stuff like that probably happened in normal households all the time._

_A loud beep broke the teenager from his thoughts, his attention shifting back to the computer. A large, crimson '5' had appeared on screen, his stomach dropping as another loud beep signified its shift to a '4'._

_"Oh come on! I bought that with my own money!"_

_'3'._

* * *

_Splash._

Beast Boy's hands clenched, a murderous glare hidden behind his helmet as his head snapped earthwards. Completely prepared to dive into the puddle that had crossed his path this time, in order to find a way to strangle it, he stopped short, finding the ground below him infuriatingly dry.

"My, how unfortunate."

Beast Boy's head shot up as the mumbled words registered in his ears, finding himself in the biggest room he'd ever seen in a sewer. The roof reached many meters above his head, with various lights attached around the rectangular perimeter. The river he'd been following had seemingly diverged whilst he'd been distracting himself, leaving the hollowed cavern seemingly devoid of water.

Except for the small puddle that the unmistakable shape of Slade had just stepped in.

Beast Boy swallowed, his helmet distorting the noise into nothing but crackling, white noise. Had Robin been nervous about his first meeting with Slade, the first time around?

The man lifted his foot, shaking the relatively clean water from his boot. Beast Boy relaxed, careful to keep his stature completely still. The plan would fail, he was almost certain it would. Why would it work now when it hadn't last time?

Even so, that didn't mean he would have to feel bad about tearing the robot in front of him in half if things got dicey. Unless this _was_ real Slade, and he had an up until this point unknown metal knee that made enough noise for Beast Boy's sensitive hearing to pick it up. Then the room might get messy.

There would be no great loss, but bloodstains would probably be difficult to wash out of the suit.

The man linked his hands behind his back, the pose that Beast Boy would forever associate with psychopaths. A dispassionate silence fell upon the large room, neither criminal making any move to speak.

The Sladebot blinked.

"Thank you for com-"

"Can we discuss a price, already?" He wasn't waiting for a good moment to interrupt, of course not. The Titans would be on their way soon, not that their presence would be very helpful. Robin had been operating under the assumption that Slade wouldn't send a robotic duplicate in his place. What a ludicrous proposition. "This helmet isn't doing too much to block out the smell."

Lies. The helmet was working beautifully. It almost made Beast Boy wonder how Robin had made it, given that the suit was something Cyborg would probably struggle with. Maybe there was magic involved somewhere. That would explain all the weapons that were rubbing against his skin uncomfortably.

The robot gave no indication that Beast Boy had annoyed it. Because robots are incapable of emotion. Duh.

"Of course, Mister...?"

"X." A person calling themselves 'X'. How cliché. "Red X."

"Red X." The name came out in something akin to a drawl, and Beast Boy was sure that the real Slade was rolling his eye, wherever he was. "What exchange did you have in mind? Money? An allegiance, perhaps?"

"I work alone." Slade coughed, the noise sounding very alike to 'bullshit' to Beast Boy's ears.

"Money it shall be, then. Do be reasonable, my employers have great plans for those chips."

Beast Boy's ears perked up. Slade was working for someone? No, wait. He'd said 'employers'. A rivaling company? The teenager filed that tidbit of information away, bringing a hand to his chin in mock thought.

"Hmm... How about you give me a price, and we'll work from there?"

Slade chuckled, the sound sending a cold shiver down Beast Boy spine. If there was any mirth present in that eerie sound, it was well concealed. The robot turned away slightly, its stare never leaving Beast Boy's helmet.

"An interesting proposal." Beast Boy's heartbeat quickened, an odd occurrence, given Slade's voice never changed. Everything he'd said so far sounded like a comment on the weather. "Tell me, how much are the Teen Titans paid? Certainly not enough, to elicit such a betrayal."

He knew it. He so knew it. Beast Boy lowered his stance, dusting a hand over his utility belt. It wasn't like he could feel the computer chips through the metal, but having that extra bit of protection felt nice all the same. Not to mention that was where all the cooler weapons were.

The Sladebot's head moved to face Beast Boy once more, a single hand appearing from behind its back. The appendage moved North, coming to rest over the blank half of dual coloured mask.

"It's very surprising, the esteemed leader of the Teen Titans thinking this simple trap may work on me." The fingers curled around the mask's edge, prying it loose and displaying the screen underneath. The hand fell as a image flickered to life, the wall behind the robot lighting up with an identical picture.

Slade's face filled the screen, his dull and uninterested eye completely discernibly as the massive visage literally looked down upon Beast Boy.

"Almost more surprising than learning that the boy standing before me walked through a time portal."

Beast Boy's eyes shot wide open, barely registering the screen before him change pictures. His heart felt like it had stopped beating, something searing hot and glacial cold sliding down his throat to rest in his stomach.

The image before him moved, and Beast Boy finally drew a breath.

"What?" He whispered, his voice breaking into nothingness before the word could escape fully.

"There is attention to be paid." Slade's figure had remained on the smaller screen, his posture identical to how his duplicate had held itself. His voice was almost bored, a tired parent spelling something out for a slow child.

"This will be very important, very soon."

Something on the screen flashed, and Beast Boy felt the lump in his throat turn suffocating.

**XxX**

The couch groaned as Cyborg shifted his weight, the controller leaving his grasp to rest upon the couch. A small sigh escaped his lips as he stood up, turning away from the T.V before a flashing neon sign could announce his latest in a long string of victories.

His fighter, something that vaguely resembled a bipedal raccoon (or maybe even a scorpion, he honestly couldn't tell), had just finished its short victory dance, its opponent climbing back to his feet for another round before Cyborg hit the Gamestation's eject button with a lazy slap.

The challenge just wasn't there anymore. The long groan left his mouth as he pushed the disc back into its housing, his steps to rehouse the cover on one of the many shelves sharing the room with him slow and laborious.

He was_ bored_. None of his regular hobbies could hold his interest anymore, something he knew for a fact simply because he'd tried every hobby that he could think of in the last two weeks. And he only really had two that he could think of without having to resort to brainstorming.

He'd finally finished the production for his greatest project to date, and fate had been cruel with its timing. The final piece of the T-Car had arrived and been installed within a day of Beast Boy's departure, and even though he'd been looking forward to taking the car on its maiden voyage with his best friend by his side, the event had admittedly brought about much efficiency for the crime fighting unit.

That didn't change the fact that he was now left with nothing to do, almost immediately after his gaming buddy and fiercest competition had supposedly been sent overseas. His growing restlessness and desire for enjoyment (as well as his constant nagging, and Raven's eventual threats after a Gamestation controller had been shoved into her hands one too many times) had eventually led into Robin making the biggest mistake in the Titan's relatively short careers.

The morning had been much like its predecessor, quiet and dull. That is, until Cyborg had decided to see if the toaster could be used as a rocket launcher and Robin's morning newspaper had been shredded by a rouge, flaming piece of bread. As though he'd seen, for the first time, how close Cyborg was to making his eye roll to the back of his head, Robin had laid his obliterated activity to the side, and 'calmly' made his recommendation.

He'd suggested the Internet.

With absolutely nothing left to occupy his time, Cyborg had quickly grown addicted. Whenever there wasn't a crime being committed or a patrol to be manned, he could be heard within his room or the garage, a click every few seconds and, if whoever passing by was lucky, a moan reminiscent to that of a zombie.

The real havoc had started once he'd found the shopping websites, and remembered the enormous monthly budget the Titans were accommodated with.

A mountain of deliveries had been made to the tower after the first week, a new toaster hidden within one of the boxes, a game that 'Beast Boy would probably enjoy' or a book that 'Raven would probably enjoy' in the others. More money had been spent within a single fortnight than what had been spent on the construction of Titan's Tower, though that was mainly due to the fact that Cyborg had built the majority of it alone and out of a destroyed spaceship.

Robin had realised his mistake, albeit too late, practically grounding Cyborg from visiting any of his favourite websites. The deliveries had slowed down - his photographic memory files was telling him that there was only one package yet to be delivered, an interesting Japanese gadget that had to go through translation before it could be sent out - and Cyborg had eventually found himself crawling through the Titan computer's many files.

That had been when he'd found encrypted audio files buried deep within the many deletions, which had led to the discovery of just what his little brother and team leader were up to.

The doors behind him hissed open, a complete lack of greeting nor footsteps telling him all he needed to know about the new arrival.

"G'evening." He greeted vaguely, shoving '5uper F1ghtR 3 X-Treme' unceremoniously between the Titan's copies of 2 and 4. Raven hummed quietly, the only indication that she knew he was even in the room, and the television flickering to stand-by was all that was needed to let him know how much she'd appreciate the quiet.

Ah well. He'd been planning on stopping by the garage anyway, after a light snack.

Raven's head sank further behind the pages of her book as Cyborg passed the couch, his sigh barely being contained to a minute twitching of his lips.

Beast Boy was scheduled to return any time within the next few days, and even if he had to tie them to a chair, Cyborg would make sure they worked through everything that was bothering them. After chewing him out for his lies, but for whatever reason that didn't feel as important.

Maybe it was due to the fact that eventually, Robin would discover exactly what the issue was, and the bank robbers they'd had to detain last week would probably be capable of handling the situation better.

"Can I ask you something?" Raven's hushed voice resounded through the silent room, Cyborg raising an unseen eyebrow as he pulled the fridge open.

"Shoot."

The couch rustled quietly, a quick glance thrown over his shoulder telling the half robot that Raven had abandoned her book. Her gaze shifted to him, something emerging behind her eyes too quickly for him to identify, before she turned away and took a barely audible breath.

"...How do you know when-"

The doors slid open once again, a brief flash of... something orange passing over the empath's skin before her mouth could slam fully shut.

Robin and Starfire fell silent, their conversation dying in the doorway as all eyes fell upon the couch. Cyborg's mechanical eye was already scanning the cloaked girl's vitals, the cold feeling of dread creeping up his spines as multiple gray shapes became apparent within her bloodstream.

Gray. Unknowns. Potentially dangerous. Unnatural.

Without warning, Raven cried out, ebony magic lancing out to strike a deep burrow into the floor as her entire body, even her clothes, erupted with a blinding, orange glow.

"Raven!" Three voices cried out simultaneously, the large plate of cold cuts falling from Cyborg's grip as he vaulted over the bench. Starfire took to the air as Robin leapt down the stairs, his progress forced to halt as the alien princess gave a pained cry and fell against his shoulder.

"The Hell's..." Cyborg's steps faltered, the large teenager falling to one knee as his body burst with bright light.

Robin quickly guided Starfire to the ground, fear and confusion twisting his stomach as Starfire blindly reached for his hand. Raven had fallen off the couch, white light lashing out against the foreign infection that had gripped her body. Sparks flew from Cyborg as he struggled to his hands and knees, turning with difficulty to face his leader.

"In...Inco...!"

The window that housed the television shattered, and Robin's world quickly gave way to unending blackness.

**XxX**

"I must commend the H.I.V.E academy for their agent's performance." The Sladebot brought its mask back to its face, the wall behind it once again showing no signs that it held a screen. "Wouldn't you agree, Mister X?"

Beast Boy's eyes remained on the wall, his breath shallow and his stomach churning. His throat stung, and he swallowed down the bile that was threatening to overflow, his helmet leaving his head as he fixed the robot with a homicidal glare.

"How?" He growled, his unseen knuckles turning white around the discarded headwear. The strange gun that Gizmo had once wielded flashed through his mind, and he cursed himself for not connecting the dots sooner. There should have been no difference of that magnitude, not without someone meddling. "How did you know!?"

The robot shrugged flippantly, the first significant movement Beast Boy had seen from it.

"I shouldn't really know." Beast Boy growled, audibly and ferociously. No, he shouldn't. "Let it be said that my employers would do well to guard their secrets closer."

Mento was getting a call tonight. And it would not be pretty.

"Who hired you!?"

Slade 'tut-tuttered', his robot peeling back its sleeve to search through its arm.

"The urge to tell you seems to have escaped me." The robot apparently found what it was looking for, withdrawing something from a hollowed out wrist. Not made to support weight for attacking, Beast Boy's mind automatically registered, not sent to battle or detain him.

The robot threw whatever it had gathered towards the Titan, an arc too high for a weapon and too low to allow it escape from his peripheral vision, Beast Boy catching and examining the three syringes with barely a thought.

"What is this?"

"Consider that my gratitude, child." Gratitude? What the Hell was Slade talking about? "Hurry along, the probes get rather difficult to survive after the first minute."

Beast Boy's eyes flickered to the robot, the helmet sliding almost painfully onto his head in his haste. A moment to consult the global positioning later, a handful of shuriken were flying towards he roof, blowing a sizeable hole in the barely meter thick concrete and flooding the cavern with pale moonlight.

He had his priorities.

Beast Boy transformed - where his clothes would go during, he didn't know nor care - becoming nothing but a lime streak against a murky backdrop as the discoloured white-throated needletail burst into the clear night air.

Below ground, the Sladebot's head swiveled down to look at its wet foot. A moment of silence passed, before a fiery explosion engulfed the room, knocking the many lights upon the walls useless and turning the now defunct robot into nothing more than a pile of melted metal.

**XxX**

I'll be honest when I say I'm not too sure on how well this chapter is written. I know saying this will raise some people's ire, but feedback would be very appreciated. This is the moment in the fic that I was most nervous about, even before I started writing the first chapter.

All that aside, I thank you for reading and I bid you adieu.

And of course, if any mistakes have escaped my notice, feel free to let me know.

Until next time!

_**X**_


	16. Chapter 14 - Legacy Logistics

I'm so angry right now.

I wrote three chapters for three different stories, in the span of two days. Then my computer, for no reason at all, decided to crash. Now this is the only chapter that I was able to salvage.

That's ten _thousand_ words, for two different stories, down the drain, for no reason. I should be updating them all right now, and I'm too angry to just keep looking at this chapter whilst I throw the other two together. Consider this an early update, not fully looked over and edited because I have a mighty need to go punch an inanimate object.

**XxX**

_Chapter fourteen - Legacy Logistics_

'_Fuck.' _

Trees were little more than brief smudges as his small form shot past them, shouts soon following after him as the few patrons that had inhabited the park recognised his green tint.

'_Fuck!'_

The three syringes slid through his foot precariously, miniscule enough to fit all into one. His talons ground against each other as he tore his hellish pace across the city, the grass soon giving way to more concrete.

'_Fuck, fuck, FUCK!'_

Beast Boy curved around one building, gaining height with a hard flap to jet over another. His muscles throbbed, the feeling dull and unimportant as another building got in his way.

'_How could he have found out? There's no way Mento told anyone!'_

The Beast was oddly silent as Beast Boy shot upwards, having not said a single word since Slade's revelation. Beast Boy had been the one to reach out to him, and he had only done so because he was too busy to seek the mercenary out and beat the knowledge out of his skull.

'_I should have let you find him. I should have listened to you!'_

"_**Correct. You should have."**_ Beast Boy leveled out as the gravelly words echoed through his head, The Beast's eyes opening to share Beast Boy's vision once more. _**"Your regrets are unimportant. Get over it."**_

'_Get over it?'_ He could see the tower, separated by both land and water. It was too far away, he needed to be there now. _'Great advice coming from you! All you do-'_

"_**All I do is sit in your mind and rot."**_ There was something beneath the regular hostility in the creature's tone. Something unusual, hushed. _**"In case it wasn't obvious to you, now isn't the time."**_

He wanted to argue, to recede into his mind and forget everything that had transpired. To open his eyes and be in a world where everything went right for a change.

The avian form he had been forced into didn't allow him to sigh.

'_Whatever, I'm not in the mood, anyway.'_ Another street lamp throwing light across his feathers. Another tree shaking gently in the breeze. Another meter closer to where he needed to be. _'What do you propose we do?'_

"_**Think. Use that supposedly evolved brain."**_ Another building. Sand. _**"Information is all part of the hunt. Gathering, processing, utilising. Plan, because I'm not going to do that for you."**_

Beast Boy's form drifted higher upon the familiar ocean breeze, his breakneck pace not hindered in the slightest. His wings were starting to hurt, their complaints going ignored in favour of being pushed harder.

'…_Slade knows.'_ He wanted to take a deep breath, lean against a wall and carve a dent into a slab of metal with his head, then break his knuckles punching through it. Maybe he would, when this was all over, but right now flying was his priority. _'Whoever's paying him knows. Everyone except me has his probes in their body.'_

"_**And you've changed something important**__."_ Beast Boy's flaps faltered, picking up again after the first foot of altitude had been lost. _**"Important enough for him to let your friends live."**_

'_How could I have screwed up already?'_ He was so close, the massive hole halfway up his home being his target. Wait, there was a massive hole halfway up his home? Son of a bitch. _'I was so careful to not change anything!'_

"_**I'm a difference."**_ The voice was so mellowed, so out of place within the conversation and user. The Beast climbed to his feet, a lazy yawn escaping between his teeth. _**"And you're not the only person who knows what's supposed to happen."**_

The creature licked his lips, setting a sedate pace towards the shadows of Beast Boy's subconsciousness.

"_**But that's not even your biggest problem right now."**_

He was touching the building's shadow, the _three_ syringes still secure within his talons. A fact he was painfully aware of. A horrible taste settled upon his tongue as he predicted what the next few minutes would contain.

One of his teammates would never forgive him. The question of who was all up to him to decide. Yay.

'_How the Hell are you so calm?'_ The waves turned into boulders. _'This is a threat to your existence too.'_

The Beast paused, a lone canine protruding from his lips as he gave the consciousness around him a dark grin. His jailor was scaling that infernal tower, the panic ebbing slightly as he skimmed through the extensive damage.

"_**Because you're not."**_ The light dimmed, the link weakening as he withdrew. _**"Make sure you call the helmet wearing prick, this is probably his screw up."**_

The darkness moved forth to claim his body, to once again deposit him where he'd first awoken.

**XxX**

Beast Boy twisted his small body backwards, using the grip he'd miraculously been able to maintain through his flight to hurl the small syringes skywards. With them safely out of the way, the Red X suit reappeared, the teenager landing on his hands. Using his momentum, he pushed himself up once more, swiping the syringes out of the air and locking them between the finger on one hand, using the other to grab onto the fridge's door handle and stop himself from falling as he landed awkwardly on his ankle.

Gulping down a breath, he pulled himself back to his feet, throwing a cursory glance around to examine the room before he took off once more.

The room between the couch and the damage was a complete mess, shards of glass and ruined metal littering the ground. Whatever had been used to detonate the tower had been measured carefully; the helmet was already being ripped from his head and thrown across the room as he sprinted forth, vaulting over a particularly large portion of the television and sliding on his knees to a stop next to Raven's untouched form.

The girl shivered as he knelt down, the bright glow of the probes attacking her body stinging his retinas. Sparing the briefest of seconds to speculate, Beast Boy plucked a syringe free, locating a vein in Raven's exposed neck and pushing the thin metal through the skin.

There were only three syringes, one short of the four close friends he possessed. There was absolutely no arguing that Cyborg would have to be injected; he was the only one of them who'd be able to remove the probes, or find a way to stop their attack without Slade's interference. Raven was next on the list; she was the closest they had to anything resembling a medic, filling in with magic what Cyborg's technology wouldn't be able to do.

Robin would never even look at him again if the last one didn't go to Starfire, but if something happened to Robin over his decision…

The glow disappeared from Raven's skin, her quiet cough pulling Beast Boy from his thoughts. He'd been afraid that he was about to poison his teammates; whatever was inside those syringes had no smell whatsoever.

Raven's eyes cracked open with a wince, a small hiss cutting off her pained groans and a faint white glow encompassing her body.

Swallowing down the relief, Beast Boy shot back to his feet, yanking another syringe from between his fingers as Cyborg's glowing body came into view. Locating a vein was slightly trickier, but no more than a few seconds had passed before orange was replaced with blue, and Beast Boy was sprinting towards Starfire.

The alien was propped up against the wall, her body shivering uncontrollably as she fought to regain her footing. Forgoing the stairs, Beast Boy threw himself over the bench, a glowing hand shooting up to grab his as he brought the syringe to her neck.

"Robin…gone…" She croaked, more spasms wracking her arm and disrupting her grip.

That made his decision easier.

Her body relaxed as the glow receded, and Beast Boy rocked backwards onto his heels and climbed to his feet as he dropped the last empty syringe.

He had a fair idea of where Robin would be, and he left a fist shaped hole in the wall beside his head as something akin to gratefulness surfaced for that mask wearing bastard. The man would journey through Hell before letting something happen to his _precious_ apprentice.

Beast Boy withdrew his hand, shaking flecks of wall from his fingers. Even if he didn't feel sick, he wanted to.

What if he had lost one of the syringes mid-flight? What if he'd been injecting water into their veins? His heart clenched as Starfire reached upwards, and he allowed her arm to wrap around his neck as he helped her to her feet.

She wobbled dangerously, blinking tiredly, and he couldn't help but feel impressed. Those probes hurt, _really_ fucking hurt, to the point where they'd knocked him out after being under their effect for about a quarter of the time she had been suffering.

She looked ready to pass out, her considerably taller form slumped against his shoulder. Beast Boy watched as she opened her mouth, her eyes glazing over and closing not a second later. Hearing a groan from out of his sight, he guided the redhead back to the ground carefully, having to put considerable effort into untangling himself from her grip.

She probably didn't want to let go, something he couldn't blame her for.

_Should have flown quicker, should have never agreed to leave the tower for two weeks, should have held his secrets closer-_

Beast Boy's eyes widened as Starfire groaned, her head falling back from where she had raised it to with a painful clang.

Tugging the top half of the Red X suit over his head,Beast Boy pulled as many weapons as he could find out of the many compartments of the top, discarding a majority of them after a few seconds. Raising her neck carefully with one hand, he slid the softer-than-solid-metal fabric of what had been covering his chest underneath her head, brushing strands of hair aside as he went. An easy breath, not strained, the first she'd taken since he'd arrived left her, and again he fought the urge to slam his head against the wall until something broke.

He ignored the small voice telling him to sprint off to his room and change into something else, anything other than the half-mass of weapons and bad memories that was his current attire, held together by incredibly illegal elements and whatever else clothes were made out of.

Another groan rose from behind the couch, a shiver coursing across his spine as the cold night breeze danced across his abdomen. Feeling far more tired than he had five minutes ago (likely the adrenaline abandoning the situation at large, lucky bastards), he set a sedate pace for the sofa, freezing in place as he poked a head over the single cushion that remained on it.

Large, purple eyes blinked back at him blandly, the purple cloak just as askew as he'd left it. Raven followed him with her eyes as he stepped around the couch, picking a safe trail through the carnage to her safe, clean spot.

Her suspiciously safe, clean spot.

"What happened?" Her voice was clear, almost perfectly normal. Not that she would have been able to hide the hitch from him, even if she tried. "And where is your shirt?"

Beast Boy swallowed, averting his eyes. What had happened, indeed?

"I'll explain later, and Starfire is passed out on top of it." Beast Boy dropped down to one knee, his lip twitching down as Raven closed her eyes and groaned again. _Should have flown quicker…_

"Are you alright?"

Her eyes opened into slits, a look he had difficulty identifying being directed towards him. She probably wouldn't even need her empathy to feel his guilt. "I am in a considerable amount of pain."

He couldn't contain the snort, the relief he didn't deserve flooding his veins at her bland tone. So what if there wasn't any hostility now? Even if she didn't blame him after she heard the story, he'd always blame himself.

Her eyelids slipped closed a moment longer than a blink, drowsy amethyst moving to meet concerned emerald.

"Thank you." She mumbled, a dull white glow travelling up her arms as her breathing slowed.

Beast Boy managed to hide his wince before her eyes closed, her breathing slowing down as warmth spread across her body. She was falling asleep, probably as part of a healing trance, not that the tiny glimpse that made up the entirety of his memories on the subject could tell him if he was correct.

It had taken him a lot longer than a minute to reach the tower.

"…For what?" He could only hope that his voice didn't sound too strained.

Her reply was barely above a whisper, easily enough for him to pick up.

"…Welcome back."

_Should have never agreed to leave the tower for two weeks…_

Beast Boy heaved a sigh as he pushed himself backwards and off his feet, his head bouncing off a hunk of twisted metal with a satisfactory 'thunk'. His brain throbbed, barely a tickle compared to the lump that had grown in his throat.

_Should have held his secrets closer…_

Wind twirled through the room as Beast Boy pushed himself back to his feet, doing his best to ignore how tight his chest felt every time his eyes landed on her. A strand of hair curled across her forehead as it was picked up by the breeze, his sigh turning into a long yawn. How long had he been awake?

Not bothering to think of the consequences, Beast Boy knelt down, taking advantage of Raven's floating state to hook one arm underneath her knees, the other snaking around her shoulders. He wasn't sure how much trouble he was supposed to be having to shift her, but he was planning on moving them all to the medical bay either way, and Raven would probably be the lightest.

He knew how to read the machines, and what to stick where. It would be foolish not to at least learn, given the constant chance of their current situation happening.

She moaned as he lifted her from inches above the ground, one limp arm raising enough for her hand to rest a hand against his stomach. Expecting to be pushed away, he stopped moving, all rushed plans pertaining to catching her as she tried to give herself room without accidentally injuring her further being forgotten as she squirmed closer to him.

She hadn't moved during her last healing trance…had she?

She moaned again, making an attempt to curl her legs closer to her body and bringing her other hand up to join the first one. Beast Boy barely dared to breathe as she settled herself, his lip twitching upwards as he was forced to remind himself that the girl nuzzling into his gut could punt him into orbit. And probably would, after Robin was brought back and had explained their circumstances. He wasn't going to face that alone, it hadn't been his idea.

He could waste time being flustered after making sure everyone else was still alive.

The short lived joviality died down quicker than it had risen. He couldn't go out looking for Robin, not whilst every other Titan was going to be confined to a bed. A damaged Titan's Tower could draw all sorts of attention, and criminals tended to jump at chances faster than heroes did.

Robin would be able to take care of himself, and even if he couldn't, news of his demise or condition would have been made public by now. Villains were vain like that, and Robin's severed head would probably bring about untold fame.

His leader wasn't dead, though. There was no way.

He had a fair idea of where Robin would be, and the thought that the Boy Wonder was safer from death in the hands of the enemy than his own teammates were, in their own home, did the exact opposite of fill him with confidence.

Beast Boy sighed, briefly wishing he hadn't given his shirt up as he stepped back into the hole's breeze. He'd been careful, so damn careful, to never let anything slip, to never deviate away from what he could readily see. Mento had always warned him of the risks, theories of deteriorating universes and paradoxes that would shape the entire world.

"_**You can't change the future without altering the past. This idiot doesn't have a clue what he's talking about."**_

Those had been the first intelligible words the Beast had ever deigned to say to him, halfway through another lecture about advantages in combat. Though they'd given him the idea of striking a deal with what occupied his mind, he'd promptly ignored the message. How would some animal that was, for all intents and purposes, less than a year old know better than a seasoned superhero?

He didn't even bother to pretend that he didn't hear the deep chuckles that echoed through his head, his tenant still not completely having left his consciousness. There wouldn't be any point, not when it came to rebelling against what was essentially his mind. Maybe.

He still hadn't worked that out yet.

He needed to talk to Mento, the sooner the better.

"B."

Beast Boy almost let Raven fall from his arms in surprise, his eyes shooting to the ground beside him. Cyborg stared back at him, his neck twisted at an angle that anyone else would find uncomfortable.

"Cy." A simple thought struck; he'd only seen the attack through a camera, no audio and with barely any window in the shot. "What happened?"

Cyborg grimaced as he pushed himself onto his back, the dull gong of metal against metal easily filling the room. Beast Boy felt Raven shift in his arms, clenching his teeth as a white spark leapt from her skin and onto his.

"I don't know." Cyborg's gaze climbed to the ceiling, his human eye closing on the way. "My skin feels like it's on fire, so I'm thinking it was a biological attack."

His friend should have been unconscious. Yet another difference he had no chance of predicting. He wasn't even surprised.

"Gar," Cyborg had turned to face him again, the utter seriousness of his tone almost unnerving. Beast Boy had told them his birth name months ago, not that any of them had ever used it, "you know something, don't you?"

Oh, hey. The urge to smash something with his forehead came back. He was wondering where that had gotten to.

Beast Boy's gaze fell to the side, doing his utmost to ignore the feeling of his lungs twisting into his throat. Cyborg let out a brief sigh, the hesitation being the only answer he would really need.

"…I know a lot of things." Beast Boy muttered softly, and as Cyborg sat up and groaned he returned his attention. "Can you walk?"

Cyborg pushed himself to his feet, keeping one hand on the kitchen bench behind him for support. His legs shook under his weight, a slightly shaky breath leaving him as he took a tentative step.

"I didn't even know that metal body parts could hurt," Cyborg glanced up, the serious gaze easing slightly at the scene before him, "but even if you were wearing a shirt, I wouldn't let you carry me."

Beast Boy felt his lips twitch upwards, a far cry from his easy grins spreading across his face as he trailed after Cyborg. The half robot scooped Starfire from the ground carefully, the princess' eyes cracking open briefly before sliding shut once more.

"So," Cyborg glanced around the room, his gaze lingering on the shattered window, "Robin isn't here."

Beast Boy's face dropped as the words left his surrogate brother's mouth, the door hissing open as he stepped around his teammates carefully. If Cyborg noticed his immediate heel-face turn in demeanour, and there was very little doubt in his mind that he did, he didn't say anything.

His reply came as Cyborg followed him out of the room, so quiet that the older boy couldn't be sure that he'd heard correctly over the doors hissing shut behind them.

"I _will _bring him back."

**XxX**

"Rise."

Robin's mask twitched, the simple action cascading lava through his nerves. A pained gasp left his mouth as his eyes shot open, slamming closed once again to shield themselves from the onslaught of freezing water.

Coughing out what had entered his mouth, he hurriedly pooled everything that he'd witnessed in the brief second long scan together. Dark room, light above his head, chained to a table, voice he didn't recognise, but no proof of his secret identity having been discovered?

Odd. Horrifying and, if it were anyone else in his shoes, most likely terrifying enough to elicit a bowel evacuation, but the only word that appeared in his mind was odd. Then again, this wasn't the first table he'd been chained to. It wasn't even the least comfortable.

"Oh, you're awake." Something connected with the ground near him, a dull, somewhat muted gonging echoing around him. _Bucket still has water in it, large room, likely below ground… "_That will make gaining access much easier."

Robin cracked an eye open, hoping the minuscule movement hadn't shifted his mask at all. That was one advantage he still had, his captor wouldn't be able to tell where he was looking.

Of course, it also made it all the more likely that this was intended to be the last room he ever saw, which threw somewhat of a damper on his celebrations.

Squinting through his eyelashes, Robin flexed a finger, the simple action intended to release the lock pick kept hidden in his right glove's index finger. The lamp above him provided enough light for him to make out the simple looking restraints covering his wrists; the only thing there apart from skin.

Well, shit. His gloves had been taken off. _Professional…_

"Where am I?" He could still feel the distinctive shape of his communicator in his pocket. Most likely, it had been turned off, if not had the battery removed outright, but there was always the chance that his team, or at least Beast Boy, was tracking him. Without a way to free his hands, there wasn't much he could do besides stall for time.

"In the sewers." Sure didn't smell like it, not that he was about to say that out loud. No point running the risk of triggering a potential psychopath with sarcasm, after all. "My preferred location was… compromised."

_Too forthcoming with information, completely insane or completely insane and about to kill me…_

"What about my teammates?" If there wasn't any chance of a rescue – _there will be, there's no way they'd give up that easily_… - that would leave him on his own. Calling for help would have to be exempt from any escape plan.

"Alive." About what he'd been hoping for, at least. "But let's not dwell on that, shall we?"

His head had been strapped down, some sort of looser cloth compared to the metal around his arms and legs. _Doesn't want me to snap my own neck accidentally… _

Turning his neck as best he could, Robin's eyes followed as a large figure stepped into the light, his single eye almost seeming to make contact with his even behind their respective masks.

Robin managed to contain the shudder that attempted to run through his spine to a single finger, the small digit cracking as it balled itself up. His stomach lurched, almost painfully, as the man took another step and unhooked his arms from behind his waist.

"Deathstroke."

The man paused, his head tilting and his eye narrowing. "Hmm… No, Slade is fine. Deathstroke is reserved for those who will not survive."

_Information, money, servitude. Any time, guys… _"What do you want from me?"

Slade walked around Robin's head, the boy's eyes following after him cautiously. Stopping behind a simple table that Robin hadn't noticed through the darkness, the mercenary retrieved one of the objects resting upon it, the first in a series of three syringes.

It was difficult to tell, but one that remained on the table seemed to be empty.

"I confess, I used to want a lot more from you than I do now." Slade flicked the syringe he'd chosen into the air, his eye not even following its progress as he snatched it from beside his face by the needle. "At first, I wanted you to be mine, and mine alone."

What, just like that? Not even dinner or at least a drink beforehand?

"I wanted an heir." Wait, with him? Well, looks like someone failed health class. "But that was before my plans had to be altered."

Robin only had time to open his mouth before something was pushed between his teeth, almost gagging as his tongue lashed out against a rag that probably hadn't been washed in a while, if the taste was anything to go by. Where had that even come from?

"Now, however, I think you would better serve me as a prototype." Slade dropped the syringe with a careless snap of his wrist, the tip stopping a hairsbreadth away from Robin's neck by use of two of the mercenary's fingers. "Who knows? If you're not catatonic after the integration period, you may even become a useful minion."

What, not even gonna give him the chance to escape? Douche.

Wait, integration?

Robin bit down pre-emptively on the rag as the needle broke skin, his suspicions proven correct less than a second later as his entire body erupted in pain. The pressure around his wrists and ankles grew, and Robin was only dimly aware of his own thrashing and Slade's speaking as…something dragged his consciousness away.

"A gift, from a former co-worker. He had his moments, no?"

**XxX**

Nothing to add down here, apart from I hope you enjoyed reading this.

Oh, right. If you see a mistake, feel free to let me know. As I already mentioned, not entirely edited.

Till next chapter.

**_X_**


	17. Chapter 15 - Shiny Sidetracking

So, funny story.

This is my only fic that I'm not suffering massive Writer's Block for. Out of the three, I'm only motivated to write for this one. I blame recent events.

My timing's marvelous.

**XxX**

_Chapter fifteen - Shiny Sidetracking_

It was slightly disheartening, Beast Boy had found, that the only thoughts he had spared for all the bugs that had slammed into the visor of Robin's helmet over the last few minutes were those of exasperated vexation and slight anger, over the spots of vision they'd robbed him of, rather than the lives he'd laid to waste with his haste.

He could still remember, as clear as it had been through his own eyes, exactly where Slade's odd hideout was. He doubted the memories would ever leave him; how ready Robin had been to give his own life if it meant a chance of saving his friends. The satisfaction he'd never gotten with the Doom Patrol, that which came with victory over such a deranged opponent.

Pumping the brake, Beast Boy threw his weight to one side, almost scraping the paint from the car he'd passed. Lifting off one wheel as he gained speed, he tapped at where the helmet was covering his ear, not bothering to acknowledge the stunned (and admittedly blurry) looks he received as he tore down Jump City's main street on Robin's motorcycle.

It was really out of necessity. He couldn't talk and fly at the same time, though he was working on keeping his vocal chords with each transformation. He was making progress, agonisingly slow as it was, but even with the clusterfuck that was his genetic code, the throat was too delicate to risk experimentation that wasn't at a sluggish pace.

But talking to Mento couldn't wait. The chance he would forget something important was just too high.

He'd briefly entertained the notion of travelling through the sewers, seeing as the only person he would likely injure down there was himself, but even with the minutes that route could save, he didn't trust his riding skills enough to try.

Robin's motorbike was easier to handle than he'd been expecting. It was almost like the moped he'd once ridden (he really tried to not remember that particular vehicle's fate), except a Hell of a lot faster.

Even so, he was almost certain that the B-Ped had only survived as long as it had because of the copious amount of bandages he'd stuck on the frame. And his fervent prayers to the Moped Lord.

Hopefully he wouldn't actually _have_ to sacrifice his first born, but knowing _his_ luck…

Still, why had he wanted a moped in the first place? The motorbike's engine hadn't burst into flames after he'd started pushing sixty, and so far the pain in his groin was at a surprising minimum. Overall, if he ignored the fact that his leader and friend was missing and Mento still hadn't picked up the damn phone, the last few minutes had been rather pleasant.

But he was, and he hadn't, so they weren't.

Half of Beast Boy's visor suddenly lit up, a gold face obscuring most of the street in front of him.

"Gah!" The handlebars wobbled precarious in Beast Boy's slackened grip, and before the green teenager knew it he was accelerating down an alleyway he'd never seen before.

"Wha- Gar!?" Robot Man leant away from the screen slightly as the ground suddenly appeared behind Beast Boy's face, followed by the sky, then what appeared to be a brick wall, and finally the sky once more.

Something whistled, the shrill shriek prompting Beast Boy's eyes to uncross.

"…Cliff?" He queried, before wincing. The camera shook, the noise that followed telling Robot Man that its housing had just been struck. "Ow, my head hurts…"

"Me." The cyborg returned, his voice raising a decibel with confusion. "Are you alright, kid?"

"Yeah. I think I'm on top of a train, though." Beast Boy's eyes fell to the side, before he blinked twice. "Yep, on a train. Holy shit, that was really epic…"

Robot Man waited for a moment, deciding to clear his throat after it became apparent Beast Boy wasn't giving him any attention.

"There's a reason you called, right?"

An engine close to the screen roared, Beast Boy returning his focus to the phone call he'd instigated a moment later.

"Sorry, I was making sure the bike was alright." The camera shuddered, the constant grinding of metal on metal being replaced with the droning whine of a motorbike. "Can you put Mento on?"

"Mento's busy at the moment." If Robot Man's metal face allowed him to frown, he would have after witnessing the scowl spread across his young friend's face. He couldn't identify the tone the Titan was using; there was too much underlying rage to be considered distracted, and he had the strangest feeling that it had very little to do with driving.

And then there was the other concern this would raise.

"Gar, should you really be calling? I know how you got the number, but you said you never bothered trying to get in touch before."

If Robot Man's metal body allowed him to shiver, he would have been fighting to contain one after witnessing Beast Boy's eyes flicker. He didn't lower his head, didn't tilt his face into any shadows. The sclera in both his eyes changed, filling with what appeared to be coiling clouds, swallowing his pupils until they were little more than emerald pinpricks in a storm.

He'd witnessed it enough, every time Mento had gone into Beast Boy's head in an attempt to join both conscious and subconscious.

He was angry. So angry that both halves actually seemed to be feeling the same way, so angry that the next words he said – growled – made his older former teammate, a seasoned super hero with skin made out of the hardest metal that's been found in the known world, want to do nothing but obey.

"The timeline is fucked." He put, oh so eloquently, and Robot Man suddenly knew who all that anger was being directed towards. That couldn't possibly be healthy.

"Tell Mento that he isn't going on that mission."

**XxX**

Raven had awoken a few minutes after Beast Boy left.

Cyborg's hands were little more than a crescendo of metal against plastic as they flew over the keyboard, gathering every working camera's cache from around the Ops Center that could be salvaged. Every wire that had been attached to the girl's bodies was set to the most sensitive alarm on that side of the Pacific, leaving Cyborg to work with the knowledge that if they so much as shivered, he could and would be ensuring their vitals before they stopped moving.

He would have preferred having Beast Boy stay behind; having another set of eyes could be more beneficial than any machine.

He knew that from experience.

"_You're leaving me here, by myself?" He would have raised his voice, had he not been around two unconscious and injured friends. Disturbing them was out of the question. _

_And Beast Boy knew it._

"_Yes." Was all he got in response, before the Med Bay's door was closed gently._

He had been conflicted, and in the end, Beast Boy had made his decision for him.

Probes. Designed and produced to attack the nerves and organs, at an agonisingly slow pace. Death was assured after a point, and if Cyborg was curious enough to research, he could probably determine just how deadly they were.

He had been, an hour ago. But now, all he could feel was disgust. He was kinda hungry as well, but the disgust was the important part.

They attacked the heart last, moving through the bloodstream and anchoring themselves all throughout the body. The technology was incredible, possibly radioactive, as once they turned on they would continue to grow hotter, until they were capable of melting through bone.

They were designed to make someone suffer. To literally leave someone for dead.

Whatever Beast Boy had injected them with had turned that function off, but that hadn't gotten rid of them. The gun that he'd lifted from Gizmo all that time ago was filled with them, a fact he'd only discovered now that he actually knew what he was looking for.

Beast Boy had pointed it out to him, and Beast Boy had been the only one who hadn't taken a hit from it. He felt as though he should have been suspicious, should attempt to look into his findings further, but eventually those thought had led him to swallowing down bile.

His best friend had just saved his life, and that was how he would repay that action? Whatever he'd been doing the last two weeks had come to a head, and it had ended up with Robin missing.

And now Beast Boy was out of the tower again, scouring the city for Robin when he should have been sitting in the Med Bay, having the slash he'd received from a broken portion of the window looked at.

Raven had been more dismayed with the blood on her uniform, rather than with the knowledge she'd fallen asleep before her healing trance could take effect, whilst in Beast Boy's arms.

Oddly enough.

Cyborg had already pulled the probes out of his body, having significantly less space to investigate and purge, given what his body was made of. Metal took a lot longer to melt than skin and muscle, what with that complete lack of veins and other squishy parts, and for the first time he could recall, a part of him was thankful that he was a freak of nature.

He wouldn't be able to help his friends if he wasn't.

Cyborg sighed as he pulled up another video file, the camera he'd set up to point directly at the fridge after a string of robberies. The rifle was a mystery, one he was no closer to understanding than when he'd started, even being who he was. It was made to distribute the probes, but as he'd rapidly discovered, it could flush them out of a person's system as well, without even requiring any modifications.

He'd had to plan around that feature, but that didn't change the fact that it was a feature in the first place. It could attract the probes back to itself with what he currently thought to be a strange magnet, and he only had to adjust a dial on its side for it to begin the process.

It was halfway through scanning and cleaning Starfire's veins even as he worked, and if the readings he was receiving from Raven were any indication (which they were, he'd never worked so quickly and carefully simultaneously in his life), her magic was cleaning out her body as well, albeit at a much slower pace.

Even if Slade, whose name Beast Boy had spat with so much vitriol that it had made Cyborg stare, hadn't been aware that Raven could counteract his action if given enough time, that didn't change the fact that he wanted Cyborg to find the 'cure'.

He wanted them to survive. For whatever reason, he wanted the Titans to get through this little endeavour, and taking Robin was all a part of his twisted game.

He was a psychopath, anyone who obviously put so much thought into playing with other people's lives was easily identified as one. Why was he targeting the Titans, though? Fame? On behalf of another? Perhaps even carrying out a grudge from before the Titans were a thing?

Beast Boy's venom made that option all the more likely, but that didn't answer the question of what Slade was even up to in the first place. To leave them alive, to not resume his attack after Beast Boy had arrived to save them…

It was worrying. There was a lot more you could do to a person and to everything that person cared about when said person was alive to witness it.

And that wasn't even to say that Robin _was_ still alive. That was merely what he hoped, and would continue to believe until given evidence to the contrary.

Something flickered across the screen, and Cyborg was instantly in front of the television screen that had been showing the girls' vitals a second prior, remote in hand to rewind the footage he was viewing.

It was the camera that was halfway down the hallway leading to the Ops Center, pointing towards the sliding door. On screen, Robin and Starfire had just entered the room, the shape that he could make out in the far window being what had captured his attention.

The door closed before he could get any more information, so Cyborg rewound the footage again and set it to frame by frame.

Once he was back to where he needed to be, the last frame before the door covered whatever was outside the tower, he tapped the screen with two fingers, blowing the small square he'd chosen up to cover the entirety of the screen.

Superior technology went to work automatically, refocusing the still image and giving Cyborg a very good reason to gasp quietly.

A missile. An honest to goodness, _fuckin'_ missile. He didn't know exactly what he was expecting. A grenade, perhaps? A timed charge, that would make more sense.

But a fuckin' _missile_?

That answered where the hole in the tower had come from. But even as Cyborg exited the recording, and spared a glance to make sure nothing had changed with his patients' vital signs, something nagged from the back of his mind.

Namely, Raven's fortune.

Even with the probes being survivable, even with a cure mysteriously appearing in the form of Beast Boy, and even with the key to destroy any danger the probes could present, there wasn't a single part of him that believed a fuckin' missile could be manipulated like that.

He knew technology. Loved the stuff. Rumour had it that his mother had loved it a little more than he did, filthy grapevine. But adapting an explosion remotely to allow everyone to survive completely unharmed took intelligence. On the technology's behalf.

The sort that wouldn't be invented for another few decades, at least.

With that in mind, Cyborg accessed the camera's database once again, taking his search to the eyes he'd planted on the outside of the building.

**XxX**

Robot Man sat back in his chair, his luggage falling from his lap as he did so. There was nothing inside that the padding wouldn't protect, and all his video games were insured either way.

He didn't need to waste room on things like clothes and a toothbrush.

If his metal body allowed him to sigh and rub his eyes, Robot Man would have done it.

Oh wait, it did.

Robot Man sighed, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. Beast Boy's attention was elsewhere, and if the rapid honking and enraged screaming was any indication, that was a good thing.

"We've been planning this mission since you left." Robot Man finally offered, and as he'd predicted, that sentence had very little effect on Beast Boy. "Mento isn't going to drop it, just because you say so."

"Slade knows I'm from the future." OK, Robot Man was glad he was sitting down before that titbit of news was offered to him, but having to stoop down and pick up his communicator was a more vexing task than picking himself up would have been.

"Explain." That sounded a disturbing amount like Mento's usual barks. But when the situation was calling for it…

"He's working for someone; he said they know and he's not supposed to." Beast Boy's eyes flicked to the screen for a moment, whatever had been buried in their depths lost on Robot Man. He'd always been lousy with emotions. "That's two people, at least. Three if you count Trigon."

"Trigon isn't a person." Robot Man said automatically. It was all he could think of, coming out in a jumbled, tactless mess. Already, he had so much to report to Mento, and nothing would come to mind that sounded even the slightest bit reassuring.

Well, he could always go for the opposite.

"This'll make the whole Trigon thing harder, if his right hand man already knows where you're from."

Wait, shit, he _actually went for the opposite_!?

"Trigon's right hand man?" Beast Boy took his eyes off the road completely at that point, thankfully not preceding any screams or explosions. He didn't seem exasperated, like Negative Man would have been, or angry, like the Beast would likely react.

He was… confused?

"Yeah, when Trigon 'invades'. You told us, remember?"

Beast Boy's ear flicked, his eyebrows knitting together, and Robot Man was immensely thankful for the fact that he didn't allow his metal body to punch itself in the face.

"No, I don't remember." Beast Boy turned another corner, the pitch of the motorbike changing as the sky disappeared. "That sounds important, why don't I remember?"

Robot Man wanted to swallow. This was why Mento shouldn't trust him with his phone calls, his stupid mouth was too big sometimes! "Uh… I dunno. Maybe you're just tired?"

Beast Boy seemed to accept that, almost missing the way Robot Man's shoulders slumped slightly in relief when he looked away.

Almost, but not quite.

"You need to check your network, make sure y-"

The green teenager eye's widened almost comically, the rest of his sentence petering out with a noise that resembled a choke. Robot Man snapped to attention as something sailed past Beast Boy's head, the whine of his motorbike's engine growing quieter as the camera started shaking, violently.

"I'll have to call you back." Beast Boy ripped the helmet from his head, the feed cutting off just as something nearby roared. Robot Man let out a breath as he stared at his communicator's blank screen, a myriad of emotions whirling through his mind.

There was more than one major problem that needed to be addressed.

Robot Man pulled himself out of his chair, coming to the decision that he'd figure out what he would say to Mento on the way over to his leader's room.

They'd never planned for this.

**XxX**

Cyborg pushed himself away from the television, the wheels of the office chair he'd found stashed in the Med Bay's supply closet rattling dangerously against the tiles. The remote was in his hand already, a remarkable feat, considering what he'd discovered.

The camera stationed atop the television had been completely trashed in the explosion, and it had taken him the batter part of fifteen minutes to discover that there was no way he could salvage any footage. On the plus side, he'd found where it had landed, on the boulders leading towards the beach that surrounded their room.

Oh yeah, explosion proof cameras. Damn, he was good.

Now if only that quality could have been transferred to the tower…

The chair jumped slightly as it traveled over a crack in the ground, sparks almost flying as Cyborg dug in his heels to stop before he could collide with the many screens he'd set up.

The girl's vitals had a screen each, which was the first thing Cyborg checked, before bringing his attention to the largest. He would be waking Starfire up soon, as he'd found out the gun worked best on a completely still patient, and together they'd be deciding if the possibility of tampering with Raven's magic - to set up Slade's toy and get the probes out faster - would be a good idea.

He couldn't make that decision on his own, and he couldn't recall Starfire ever making a bad choice when her friends were at risk.

Something passed over the camera he was viewing, a small addition that had been made near the room to keep an eye on the city. The Titans could do that well enough with their own eyes, but not all of them had zooming capabilities or infrared. Cyborg stabbed at the keyboard with fiery passion, his nose scrunching in consternation when nothing arose but a few simple, dark blurs.

If he was ignoring the fuckin' missile, that is.

Still, it was progress.

Sighing, Cyborg acknowledged the small chime that he'd set up to notify him when Starfire was almost probe free, waving it aside as he accessed the last possibly useful camera's footage.

Opening the file and fast forwarding to the minute he wanted, Cyborg's breath caught in his throat, the film before him playing at half speed, as per his previous instructions.

The robotic teenager watched with rapt attention as three masked figures sprinted across the roof, every step raising an impressive total of zero alarms. The camera, which had been situated at the roof's corner, followed their progress as they sprinted across the cement, two leaping ahead of the third by a single step as they both pulled two blades from… where the Hell had they been storing those?

Cyborg did _not_ squeak when all three jumped off the building.

The camera, thankfully, had been stationed on the edge of the building, far enough over open air to see down the side of the tower. The two with the blades fell like stones, almost touching the glass as they passed it, whilst the third kicked off a window after less than a second, which given the more obvious movement, the camera chose to follow.

Flames erupted from the masked man's boots (Rocket shoes, now _that_ was an idea…), and for a moment Cyborg wished he had had time to cover his eyes as the fuckin' missile exploded prematurely, making a mess all over the mask that had tackled it.

The camera shook violently as the shockwave passed over it, valiantly staying as undamaged as the rest of the tower.

Oh yeah, explosion proof cameras.

For whatever reason, the masked man then exploded, and as the camera was panning down to face the tower once again there was another explosion off screen. Right in the path of the other masked figures…

Son of a bitch, they exploded a part of his tower! Why didn't they just let the fuckin' missile- oh, hey, look. Robin was flying.

Cyborg pushed himself out of his chair as the gun 'dinged' (people were trying to eat fuckin' missiles and guns were dinging, he really just wanted to go to bed), his brain already cataloguing and analysing what he'd seen.

They had an enemy, and an ally, except their ally had kidnapped their leader. Or their enemy had kidnapped their leader, and their ally had responded with the fuckin' missile…

Cyborg bit back a groan as he carefully pulled the first wire out of Starfire's arm. Maybe he should call Beast Boy and give him the good-er, bad…uh… news?

Starfire moaned, effectively covering the groan that punched Cyborg in the teeth and escaped his mouth.

Seriously, fuck today.

**XxX**

"Raaarrrrgh!"

"Yeah, rargh. Terrifying." Beast Boy picked himself up from the ground, cracking his neck with an annoyed sigh. His tongue travelled over a foreign hole in his gum, a bloodied tooth soon being ejected from where it had attempted to embed itself in his throat.

It disappeared over the edge of the bridge he'd been intercepted on, landing with a small splash in the single river that ran through Jump City.

His arm hurt a little, and he was pretty sure there was a cut on his forehead that was still closing up. Come to think of it, his rib felt a little fu-

Ow! Yep, broken.

"Raaaarrghh!" Cinderblock repeated, as enthusiastic as ever.

Beast Boy rolled his eyes, still trying to figure out how to breathe without hurting himself. Robin would probably be louder after finding out what happened to his bike.

"Alright, look." The green teenager straightened up, having to expend a little more effort than he would have liked, but he managed. "I am really not in the mood for this. My leader is missing, my home is slightly exploded, and the people who have been acting as my parents since I care to remember are keeping secrets from me. I suppose I can understand why, seeing as I'm just a fifteen year old kid and the world's fate could be in their hands, but it would be nice if they didn't, y'know?"

"Raaaaarrrgh!"

"Yeah, of course you don't." Beast Boy slipped a hand into his uniform, pulling out his wallet a second later. Flicking it open, Beast Boy rummaged through its pockets, unearthing a single silver coin after seconds of searching.

He'd gotten it when he was… somewhere in Europe.

Depositing his wallet in his pocket once more, Beast Boy held the coin up, the gleam from a nearby streetlamp seeming to distract Cinderblock as he inhaled to roar again.

"See this? Look, see the shiny?" Beast Boy waved the coin around, Cinderblock's head following after it. "Shiny, yeah? Oooooh, pretty. And guess what? It's all yours!"

Cinderblock blinked, stupidly. Or that's how Beast Boy would have labelled the action, at least.

"Shiny, yours. Yooooouuuuurs!" Beast Boy waved his hand for emphasis, the action seeming to work as Cinderblock stilled.

Then the monster's face lit up as he clapped, and Beast Boy grinned.

"Yes, yours! You want it?" Cinderblock nodded enthusiastically. Beast Boy repeated the notion, his grin shrinking into an encouraging smile. "You do? Good! Now go get it!"

Beast Boy flicked the coin over the edge of the bridge, and Cinderblock followed, laughing gleefully even as he disappeared into the tide and sent a plume of water skywards.

Beast Boy waited for a count of five breaths before he shook his head dismally, his eyes drifting to the clouds above. Grunting as the uncomfortable transformation began, his communicator vibrated against his leg, a scowl spreading across his face as he reversed the morph.

Great. Something else to waste his time.

Retrieving the small device, Beast Boy flipped the lid open, the customary greeting melting in his mouth as he registered exactly what was on the screen.

He was sorely tempted to close the communicator and open it again, to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, but then he realised that would be stupid.

It was a distress signal. Robin's distress signal, to be exact. Coming from the opposite side of the city.

The trap was obvious, so obvious that Beast Boy could almost feel Mento slap him upside the head as he shoved the communicator back into his pocket and sent a call through his mind.

For whatever reason, that just made him want to move faster.

'_You saw the location?'_

"_**Of course I did."**_ A dark grin was spreading across the Beast's face as he stepped out of his shadows, his words almost… breathless. Giddy. _**"Are you doing what I think you're doing?"**_

'_You can read my thoughts.'_ Beast Boy drew a deep breath, ignoring the way it made his chest buzz. Not the good kind of buzz, either.

His body would hate him when this was over, but so long as he was alive, he could live with it.

'_We need speed.' _The Beast snickered, before tipping his head back and howling with laughter. The choked echo washed over Beast Boy as he hunched over, his fingers twitching as they tore through his gloves.

'_Take over.'_

**XxX**

I think I lost focus at some point. Oops.

I'm surprised nobody's made a guess as to what Slade did to Robin. It's probably obvious, seeing as Brother Blood is the one that 'gifted' the tools to him, but oh well. I'm just trying to not screw the story over too badly.

No promises.

Also, this website is incredibly annoying. I'm not American, I don't spell words the same way, yet it's constantly changing what I type. I refuse to conform, infernal machine! You're lucky I'm all the way down here in Australia, where our transportation isn't yet advanced enough to hop on top of water.

One of these days, America, one of these days...

Anyway. 'Till next chapter.

_**X**_


	18. Chapter 16 - Decisive Blows

Massive thanks to the reviewers. You guys are amazing, as always.

**XxX**

_Chapter sixteen - Decisive Blows_

It was breathtaking.

The Beast's roar washed across the emptied bridge as he straightened up, echoing down the streets connected to it and above the waves below. For the first time in so long, he took a deep breath, the air rushing down into _his_ lungs as Beast Boy faded completely to the subconscious.

He knew the boy was close enough to wrestle back control if need be; he'd done so before. Sharing a body meant sharing a mind, and those strongest mentally would come out victorious.

But he was awake, and he was alive, and he would take what was given to him and coexist as necessary. Not peacefully, though. Never peacefully.

The boy was urging him, his voice so very easy to ignore, and yet, so very difficult to resist. _Run_, he would call through the darkness, _stop wasting time!_

Well, _hurry the fuck up you damn sack of fur_, but close enough.

The Beast allowed himself a single second longer to taste the air, polluted and diluted but oh so sweet, before falling back to all fours and launching himself further into town.

The first city block passed as a blur, nothing important enough to take additional notice of. The second block was over quicker than the first, another feral laugh bubbling from his throat as screams tore into the night.

He wouldn't hurt the pedestrians; Beast Boy would never allow it, and human blood tasted like garbage anyway. So what if that fleshy bag of lard could probably feed him for a week? Having to pick fat from between his teeth was just torture.

The fifth block was already behind him as the Beast leapt into the air, clearing one particularly low building blocking his path and landing on the roof of another. The world was nothing but muted colours as he accelerated once more, not that it really bothered him.

He was the ultimate hunter. Even if his obstacle was invisible, he would get around it, assuming he couldn't just destroy it and move on. He was the fastest thing on the land right now, and if he had wings he'd rule the skies too. Water could leave him the fuck alone; fish tasted like shit compared to even the most basic of farm animal.

The city almost behind him, the Beast vacated the roofs he'd been traveling upon, terrifying more than one person as he landed in the street. Cars blared their horns as they swerved around him, the many people around him already turning around and running away.

The Beast grinned; any human running scared was always an entertaining sight. Beast Boy wasn't very amused with his actions; that just made all the more proud of them.

Now satisfied (part of him, at least) that the blast zone was clear of anyone who may get hurt, the Beast brought one hand down between his feet, cracking the street on both sides an admirable distance and dropping himself below the ground. Kicking off a large piece of rubble, the Beast landed in a crouch on the side of the sewer, his nose wrinkling dispassionately.

He didn't want to be down here. His nose was advanced, further than his jailor could ever hope to develop. There was no way that smell would go away on its own, not when it was seeping into all this fur.

He wouldn't turn around, though. Not even if Beast Boy told him to. Despicable as humans were, the masked one was part of his pack.

And it didn't matter who or what it was, _nobody_ fucked with the pack.

**XxX**

"Friend…I do not understand."

"Look, Star. It's really simple." Cyborg flicked his laser pointer on again, drawing circles on his whiteboard, around what appeared to be a cruder circle with lines randomly spiking out. "A while ago, we got shot during a fight. These were in the gun, and right now Raven, and possibly Robin, are the only ones who still have them in their bodies."

The small red dot climbed through the various doodles, coming to a rest next to a large skull and crossbones. "A little while ago, whoever organised to have them shot into us activated them, which was likely in accordance with whatever Beast Boy has been doing over the past couple of weeks, seeing as he showed up with a way to deactivate them."

Starfire cocked her head to the side in confusion. She was sitting atop the blanket of her hospital bed, her legs still shaky too support her weight, the grim situation making flying rather difficult. "But how did Friend Beast Boy come into possession of this…'cure'? And why was Robin taken from us?"

"I wish I knew the answers, I really do." Shaking his head helplessly, Cyborg turned the laser pointer to the television screen on the opposite wall, little more than a crimson streak as it flicked back and forth between the two pictures being displayed.

"Beast Boy'll get Robin, when they get back we can ask them." They would come back, Cyborg told himself stubbornly. Now that Beast Boy had a distress signal to go off… well, he wasn't about to tell Starfire that little detail. Her communicator was probably still upstairs. "Right now, this is our biggest concern."

Starfire studied the screen for a moment, her eyes moving from the missile to the masked figures, and back again.

"I am not familiar with the object on the right." She admitted, turning her green eyes on Cyborg for an explanation.

Cyborg felt a small smile grace his lips, in spite of their current situation and discussion topic. "That's a missile, Star. It's a bomb that you can shoot."

He averted his eyes as she absorbed that knowledge. So what if they were superheroes; nobody should have to learn what a missile was after one had been shot at them. The fact that it was Starfire just drove the dagger a little further into his heart.

Technically, he didn't have a heart, but shut up.

"How did we survive?" Starfire inquired, her tone far more level than Cyborg had been expecting. It was almost as if this wasn't the first time someone had tried to blow her unconscious body up.

He was definitely crossing Tamaran off his potential vacation locations. Then again, they had originally found her after she busted herself out of a prison ship. How did she even get there in the first…

Cyborg blinked, forcibly shutting that thought down. It was in the past, he didn't want to know, and like Hell he'd attempt to find out.

"That's probably the most interesting part." Cyborg retrieved the remote from the computer desk, not at all bothered when the laser pointer fell to the floor. A push of a button later, Starfire was watching as the second image burst into life, a small gasp leaving her lips as Robin flittered past the camera, his body very visibly glowing orange.

"They are robots?"

"Yeah." Like him, but that really didn't need to be said out loud. "That alone narrows down who exactly saved us, assuming Beast Boy doesn't know anything."

Starfire nodded, her eyes drifting back to Robin's still image. Her tooth dug into her bottom lip gently, Cyborg turning away just before he heard her voice.

"I am… worried."

Cyborg sighed, reaching for his the compartment that held his communicator as the small device vibrated. A quick glance told him it was Aqualad, probably something to do with the distress signal.

"Yeah. Me too.

**XxX**

Slade hummed absently as he dropped Robin's communicator to the ground, crushing it under his boot for good measure. He'd kept the distress signal up for two and a half minutes, enough time for his position to be memorised, as well as cause panic once the broadcast was stopped abruptly.

"I must say, this is quite exhilarating." Robin twitched at the sound of his voice, but considering how much he'd been twitching in the last few minutes, that really didn't mean much. "For so long, I've dreamed of having you in my clutches. And now, here we are."

Robin shivered lightly. Maybe he _could_ hear his voice.

"I never quite expected it to be like this, but life is so unpredictable at times." Slade paced back and forth, his arms linked behind his back and his single eye glued to Robin's form.

"I do hope you wake up." Suddenly, Slade's mask was beside Robin's face, close enough to the Boy Wonder's strained breathing to tell what he'd eaten last. Hmm, some sort of meat, and coffee. Definitely coffee.

"It wouldn't bode well for the first test to be a failure."

The wall closest to the duo exploded outwards, and Slade hung his head with a sigh, allowing the copious amounts of debris to sail over his mask harmlessly.

Interestingly, both tables beside him remained untouched.

"Cinderblock, for the last time, we have a _door_."

Something large erupted out of what used to be a wall, and Slade brought his arms up to protect his face, reacting just quick enough to feel bones snap and feet leave the ground.

**XxX**

"_**NO! I'm so close! How do you expect to do ANYTHING in your state!"**_

Beast Boy clenched his teeth as his body shrunk back down to human, immensely thankful that the voice wasn't coming out of his mouth. The Beast could talk, a few tests using its body and not its mind proved that, which had only raised questions as to what it truly was. It scanned as a human, and could make the same noises as a human, but it sure as shit wasn't a human.

Of course, the Beast would never speak to anyone, the few times it did gain control of both the body and the mind. In Mento's own words, it was likely due to the fact that the Beast was an asshole who liked growling at things. Beast Boy was obliged to agree with him.

But first…

"I'm not allowing you to kill him." He growled, soft enough to not be heard over the settling dust. "Stop resisting, or you'll never get out again."

Beast Boy's body seized up again, a moment passing before he slumped down and had to catch himself.

"_**Fucking hero."**_ The Beast spat, already fading to the darkness of his mind. Apparently, he was upset. _**"If we die, I shall find a way to kill you."**_

Beast Boy picked him way through the destruction he'd technically caused, wincing slightly as chest stretched a little too far. Shooting a glance down to his side, his eyes narrowed as they discovered Robin's form, his skin too pale and brow too sweaty.

'_Shut the fuck up and go throw your tantrum away from my thoughts.'_

"Ow." Someone grunted from the other side of the room, Beast Boy turning to watch Slade climb out of the other hole in the room. His arms hung at his sides uselessly, and he had to hide his wince when he saw the bone poking from near one elbow.

The man may have killed people for money and power, but the sight itself was inherently sickening. Satisfying, but… nope, satisfying.

Slade looked up from examining his arms, his eye widening slightly as he took in who was standing in front of him.

"…You're not Cinderblock."

It may have been a delayed reaction, but Beast Boy's face fell into a feral glare, his rib forgotten as he moved between Slade and Robin. "No, I'm not. You may need to…actually, Cinderblock doesn't breathe. That's reassuring..."

Slade narrowed his eye as Beast Boy trailed off, meeting the teenager's glare with one of his own. "What did you do to Cinderblock?"

Beast Boy chuckled, actually let his eyes fall away from his glare and chuckled, at Slade's tone. "Are you… are you actually concerned? That's just precious."

And disturbing, considering his treatment of Robin and Terra, the underlings that could actually think for themselves.

But now wasn't the time.

Slade remained silent, so Beast Boy decided to stop laughing and take the initiative. "Right, ok. Uh, anyway. What did you do to Robin?"

He would give himself five minutes. Five minutes to get whatever answers he could before grabbing Robin and getting the fuck out.

The sentiment behind Slade's stare grew colder, thought it was difficult to see from behind that mask. "Why would I answer you?"

Well, he'd been expecting that answer. It would be nice if he didn't have to fight tooth and nail to get the answer, but since when were things easy?

"Fine then, here's an easier question. Why let the Titans survive?"

Robin groaned from behind him, Beast Boy driving his claws into his palms to stop any emotion from showing on his face and giving Slade an advantage. He just wanted to stomp all over Slade's arms, grab Robin, and let the Beast take them back to the tower.

But he needed these answers, for the greater good of the team and himself. It felt too much like how Mento used to do things. How _Robin_ used to do things.

Slade straightened up, not showing any discomfort as his arms brushed against his sides. How that could be, Beast Boy had no idea, but there had to be some kind of pain over there. He could see _bone_, for fuck sakes!

"Leaving a favour unpaid is unbecoming of a professional. You can figure it out."

Beast Boy fell into silent thought, and he could tell the Beast had done the same, even if he was pretending not to listen whilst he had his sulk. He had four and a half minutes left, he'd be damned if he didn't learn anything now.

If he were to hazard a guess, he'd say that money was the most important thing to the generic mercenary. Slade was anything but generic, true, but there was no evidence that Beast Boy was in possession of that pointed towards the man having anything else of importance in his life, like a family, of even a home.

Lives could be bought and sold; that was the entire point of the job. But he had to think like Slade here. The only thing deserving of saving a life was another life already saved. No evidence that Slade had a family, and if the man had any friends he'd kiss Robin, so that left Slade himself.

How had he managed to save Slade?

Four minutes, fifteen seconds.

Maybe it was something he'd accidentally changed during his tenure as a Doom Patrol member, or even his time in the tower. Of course, nothing had killed Slade before now last time, so whatever Beast Boy had changed first had put him in that position, only to be pulled out later. That didn't feel likely. But that was the only road he had to travel, and now it was nothing but a dead end…

He wasn't sure if it was his own thought or something the Beast conveyed to him, but the small burst of electricity and the activity it heralded appeared in his brain anyway.

Maybe it was something that hadn't technically happened yet.

Four minutes.

Beast Boy shot a brief glare at Slade, examining the man closely. During the time he'd been a corpse, he'd always sagged ever so gently, probably due to being a skeleton with nothing but voodoo to hold him up. This Slade looked perfectly fine, arms aside, so it wasn't likely he was already in Trigon's clutches, and was using this as pre-emptive progress towards getting his body back.

But wait, he wasn't counting Slade's actual death. If he were to avoid his end via Terra's hands, that would be due to whatever Beast Boy had altered, which would in turn mean that Slade owed his life to the Titans twice over…

The realisation hit him like a truck.

"You're not the one who attacked the tower, are you?"

Slade cocked his head to one side, his eye tilting up slightly. He was smiling beneath that mask, and the mere thought of that made Beast Boy feel slightly sick.

"Impressive." Slade tried to link his arms behind his back, before they twitched and he apparently decided to leave them where they were. "I've been inside where my employers keep their records three times. Every single time, I've gotten in and out undetected, and I've learned quite a bit."

Slade paced back and forth, stepping around chunks of debris without taking his eye off Beast Boy. "Their passwords were laughable. Unbelievably arrogant, and none of them can back it up."

Slade stopped pacing, and Beast Boy's fingers twitched. All of them, more than one person. Briefly, he wondered why he was being told this at all. Not that he'd say anything, just let the madman keep talking until he had what he wanted or time ran out.

Three minutes and thirty seconds.

"My mission, what I'm being paid for, is you. Your team is of no consequence to me, but you are to be left alive and captured. According to those records, an alien ship would appear in Jump City. It did. A superhero team would be forged. It was. I would be murdered, and returned to life by said team. I do not wish to see if that is correct."

Beast Boy's breath caught when he saw the look in Slade's eye. Not from fear, not from anything, really. Unbridled fury, he was far too familiar with that gleam, not that he would have a choice in the matter.

"I dislike debt. If it is to happen, I've repaid my debt in advance. If it does not, then I've repaid the debt anyway. I saved your team twice, to put my mind at ease."

Gee, how fucking noble.

Three minutes.

Beast Boy frowned as he went over what he'd been told. Someone had intimate knowledge of him (what he'd told the Doom Patrol, apparently every single thing he'd told the Doom Patrol, how marvellous), they were using that knowledge to bend events in their favour (he couldn't ever remember the H.I.V.E hitting that hard, come to think of it), and Slade, motherfucking evil, eats souls for breakfast _Slade_, had saved his friends _twice_ (well, he'd put them in danger and then let Beast Boy save them, and then allegedly saved them again, so anything was possible really), all too appease the little voice in his head that seemed to keep its damn mouth shut in literally every other situation.

Seriously, fuck today.

"Tell me, child." Beast Boy snapped back to attention. His eyes had never really left Slade, but that was more reflexive than anything. He would react as trained if under attack, but his attention had been internal.

Mento would be so disappointed. Almost as disappointed as Beast Boy was of him for letting precious info out…!

"What happens three months from now?"

'_Probably a lot, dumbass.'_

Beast Boy bit back the retort. There was a time and a place for everything, and whilst gathering information that would probably save your life was not one of those times. So, what happened in three months that impacted Slade? Pft, like he'd ever forget.

"You die." Oh, happy times. That memory would always bring a smile to his face.

Slade didn't bother commenting as Beast Boy's attitude made a one-eighty degree turn. "Quite. Would you like to guess when I cease working, as per a predetermined date?"

Beast Boy couldn't help it; he chuckled again. "So whoever you're working for is planning on killing you? I don't blame them."

Slade seemed less than amused. "That's rather rude. I saved your friends."

"Yeah, good for you." He didn't let it show, but Beast Boy was far away from jovial. From what he could understand, Trigon had used Slade because he happened to be dead at the time. If he started scouting for a slave again, Slade would be right there, ripe for the picking and desperate enough to claw his way back to the land of the living.

"Who do you work for?" If they knew about Trigon, things would have to be changed. He didn't want to tell the Titans what had happened to him. Robin had strapped him to a chair before (though he seemed pretty chill now, maybe he should find out why…), Starfire admittedly probably wouldn't care (but he didn't want or need that attention), Cyborg would think he was kidding, and that would go terribly, and Raven…

He didn't know what Raven would do. But he didn't want to risk losing her. That had already happened once; he wouldn't let it happen again.

Two minutes.

"Hmm, I don't think I should tell you." Slade's arms twitched again. Probably not used to being somewhere that wasn't behind the creep's back. "Even if they plan to betray me, there's still my honour on the line. Think of the face I would lose if I let such sensitive information out."

Well, he could have just told him to go fuck himself and saved some breath…

Beast Boy closed his eyes briefly, listening intently to Slade's footsteps. They stopped, and he rose his head, sending a glare into that mask he'd grown to despise.

"What did you do to Robin?"

Slade stood completely still, Beast Boy crossing his arms and leaning against the table behind him. Robin moaned, his entire body shaking, and Beast Boy's next breaths came out harder than necessary.

This was the last question, and even if Trigon himself rose out of the ground and blocked his path, Beast Boy was getting Robin back to the tower.

"…I see no reason not to tell you, as you will join him soon enough." Slade cocked his head to the side again, looking over Beast Boy with an analytic eye. "Tell me, child. What do you know about mind control?"

Beast Boy shivered. He could feel the rage rising at the back of his mind.

Part of him despised mind control.

"A helmet and a creepy principal. What's your point?"

Slade waited for a moment, before shaking his head. "Is that all? I was beginning to believe you were intelligent."

A minute and fifteen seconds.

"You want a definition?" Beast Boy growled, pushing himself off the table. Getting angry wouldn't do him any favours, not here, but he didn't have Raven's control. Not right now. "Find a dictionary. What's your damn point?"

Slade sighed, as if he had the right to expect more. "I specialise in robotics, and I have an acquaintance who knows the ins and outs of mind control. Come, now."

Beast Boy froze. Even his breathing stopped. Robotics, mind control, _probes_. Robin was unconscious…

"You want our bodies." What a fucking _creep_! "You're getting inside Robin's head as we speak."

Slade blinked (winked?), before his eye curved. The bastard was smiling, probably the same expression a lion gave a wounded gazelle. Every tooth on display, looking like an idiot, more than likely drooling.

"Yes and no." Slade took a step forward, and Beast Boy was automatically on guard, crouching lower to the ground. "I don't want your body. I want…the other you."

Beast Boy's eye narrowed as Slade launched himself away from the wall like a bullet.

**XxX**

He was furious.

No, furious didn't even begin to cover it. He was livid. He was seething. He was damn well enraged.

Robin groaned, still lying on that slab of metal, as Beast Boy narrowed his eyes at Slade. The man- no, the fucking creature, was already halfway across the room, his arms still uselessly hanging from his sides.

Even without his arms, Slade could probably take him on in a fair fight. Even with his various animal forms, Beast Boy didn't have Slade's experience, even if he could match and surpass him for physical strength.

But even so, there was only one thought on his mind.

'_Cy probably can't fix this.'_

Beast Boy blinked, and Slade was almost directly in front of him, one knee raising and pointed towards his stomach. It was fast, and in a fair fight, it would finish him before he could even start.

Too bad Slade had shot every chance of a fair fight straight to Hell.

Beast Boy felt his claws extend, more an instinct than anything else. Not even bothering to aim properly, he swung, his hand traveling in a nice arc that would send his very sharp nails straight into Slade's throat.

If I were anyone else, they'd be dead before they could hit the ground. Slade was already in the air, nowhere to dodge to if you couldn't push off something and change directions. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on where you were standing, Slade's mind was quick enough to see the attack coming.

Slade forced his broken arms up to block Beast Boy's attack, his own trajectory and stance never changing. It was what Beast Boy had been expecting, and he let the feral grin spread as he transformed.

Even in a fair fight, using someone's injuries against them was a valid strategy. If you were against someone who had one eye, you attacked from where they couldn't see you. If your enemy had something wrong with their body, something that could and would cause pain, you poked and prodded and pulled until they gave in.

Slade would lose, because he wouldn't expect Beast Boy to do what he was about to do. The title of hero had many perks associated with it, even if some were unseen.

Beast Boy's thick skin absorbed the blow of Slade's knee against his chest, nothing but a small grunt leaving his mouth. No matter what animal, trained blows from a powerful person would hurt, even if it was equivalent to a bee's sting.

The green gorilla wrapped its fingers around Slade's arms before he could lower his block, and ignoring the blood that was slowly coating his hand, Beast Boy did the first thing that came to mind.

He squeezed. Hard.

_That_ got a reaction out of Slade, the man growling audibly in pain. He thrashed, likely making the pain worse for himself, twisting this way and that as he landed kick after kick on Beast Boy's legs and lower body.

Sure, he could feel it. But he'd been getting his ass kicked most of his life, and too bad for Slade, he still had a free hand.

Beast Boy had never bothered to find out how hard certain animals were able to hit. This species could bench press five more kilograms, so what? So long as their bodies could get the job done, he didn't need to have absolute specifics.

He was, however, very aware of how it felt to get smacked in the face by a gorilla in general, from at least three personal accounts, and however many others he'd forgotten from said smack.

It fucking hurt. A lot.

So it came to no surprise to Beast Boy that when he jerked his arm and held Slade above the ground by his broken - likely crumbled - arms and sent his fist hurtling into the mask, said mask cracked, as did the man's shoulders as he was thrown across the room.

Slade hit the far wall, leaving a red trail as he slid back to the ground.

He didn't get up.

Beast Boy released a shaking breath, returning back to human. Even from where he was standing, he could see Slade's chest moving, a clear sign that he was alive.

Even so, he felt sick. He felt…_proud_.

He'd turned Slade's arms into sawdust. He'd probably shoved a good portion of that mask into the man's skull with that last hit. It certainly wasn't beyond the abilities of the species he'd chosen, but it was just brutal.

And all he could feel was that odd pride. The pack was safe, the threat was eliminated. Why should it worry him?

He missed those days before everything happened, when the world had felt so black and white.

Beast Boy turned around just as Robin groaned again, the teenager's head shifting to the side ever so slightly.

"…B…?"

Now wasn't the time, now wasn't the place.

"Robin, shut up and rest. I'll get us back to the tower, and if you so much as twitch I will knock you unconscious. We clear?"

Robin didn't answer. With that mask in place, Beast Boy couldn't tell if his eyes were even open. They better not have been.

Beast Boy kept his gaze on Robin long enough to watch his chest rise, before he wiped off as mush blood as he could from his hand and reached for his communicator. He found the number he was looking for soon enough, a middle aged man answering after the second ring.

"Jump City Police De-"

"Top level security escort required. I'm leaving my communicator down here. I can't stay on the scene, so just follow its signal." Beast Boy flipped the lid closed, flicking the small device onto a table nearby.

It landed on something with a strange noise, and Beast Boy only looked around long enough to pocket a full syringe and thank whatever decided to make his gloves the only thing that didn't survive the Beast transformation.

Speaking of…

_'Get us back to the tower, now.'_

**_"No please?"_**

_'No, no please. And the next time you invade my head whilst I'm fighting, I will take action. Are we clear?'_

**_"Whatever, there's no way I'm letting some creepy pedo get his hands on me. Get your stupid ass away from the table so I can take control."_**

**XxX**

This was written at two in the morning as I lie here, sick. As such, I'm unsure of its quality. I hope you enjoyed it regardless, even if this turns out to be a strange fever dream and I wake up to a blank page. That's be fun.


	19. Chapter 17 - Ohayō Senpai

Starting things off a little differently, because backstory is important, even if my methods are somewhat lazy.

I'm not sorry.

**XxX**

_Chapter seventeen - __Ohayō__ Senpai_

_Tokyo – Unknown date_

Most nights, he would find himself questioning the actions of his leader.

The whirring surrounding the officer served to mask his deep sigh, a stray thought slinging his ever present gun over his shoulder in favour of the magazine he'd purloined earlier that afternoon.

The commander hadn't said anything about his choice, his eyes cracking open long enough for his collected soldiers to see them roll. The assignment he'd given them, whilst undeniably boring, doubtlessly harboured more potential danger than the scripted encounters in the dead of night.

The commander didn't care about the fact that his supposedly mindless ink minion could think, could read, could feel at all. He was merely content with the fact that they wouldn't rebel, couldn't reveal his treachery to the general populace of Tokyo. He should know; he'd been trying, ever since the night he was created, so long ago he'd lost count of the years.

He'd been created, not born, as a slave. As such, he'd had no chance to voice his misgivings over such a menial task. Guard duty into the crippling hours of the morning, with nothing to look at but the countless copies of the same Global Positioning System being thrown into box after non-descript box. All because his commander was thirsting for the prestige of a benevolent man, his current reputation inconsequential, and the owner of this factory apparently held more money than he did brains or courage.

Did installing a security system not occur to him? If not, then why did the thing without a _brain_ manage to think of it?

Something below gave a metallic shriek, which he easily ignored as he turned the magazine's page.

Humans were a joke unto this world. If they weren't evil, they were too stupid to notice the artificial reasons behind their fellows' actions. He'd watched one of the most prominent members of their race hang a medal around their commander's neck last week. Another medal! That was the fourth one this month!

And due to the nature of the magic that made his creation possible in the first place, he would have no choice but to bite his tongue and swallow the scorn that was so desperate to escape, every single time it rose to his mouth. Any lesser ink creation would scream in frustration.

He just shot every criminal he came across a few more times than necessary, all the while waiting patiently for the day when he would get caught outside in a thunderstorm without an umbrella.

"Yo. How you holding this quarter?"

The ink officer, whom for convenience's sake shall be from this point forth referred to as Alexander, glanced up from his page, swallowing down his pained groan with the practiced ease of someone who shot people a lot more than he should.

It was just his luck that one of _them_ would be assigned the same mission as he had been.

Alexander could still remember the days when he was first starting out. The first time he'd crawled out of that printer, a grin beneath his visor as he emptied his gun's clip into the first thing he saw. Why? Because he fucking could, that was why.

That had been years ago, on a drizzly Tuesday afternoon. Of course, he didn't know what day it was. Why should he? There was nothing to his existence, just another clown in the circus, with a ringleader who would always be too busy to yank on his leash.

He hadn't had to grow up for a while. Hadn't bothered thinking about why all of the heroics he'd ever taken part in were staged, elaborate plays used to heighten a megalomaniac's ego and make villains out of anyone who would ever oppose him. Eventually, he'd noticed the way his kind in general was treated by the one who'd created him, and that rush of freedom, that vivacious river he would like nothing better than to leap into a never climb out, had ebbed into the muted disregard of a person whose life would never have any impact on the world.

Years had passed, but those memories would never leave him. Alexander had been a new recruit once, and he hated having to deal with them now. Some were so far unlike him that the fact that shared circumstances of 'birth' was amazing. They were malleable, Hell, some were pleasant to be around (his latest theory had something to do with the amount of ink they'd been made with), but others…

His purposeful ignoring went ignored as Newby cocked his head to one side, an insufferable grin stretching his face as he tapped the magazine with a single finger.

"Whatcha readin'?"

…Were just like him.

In the future, when Alexander would look back on this incident and the events it would set into motion, he would cringe and avoid any possible questions. Why didn't he bother pulling rank to be left alone, why not just answer and hope the situation would resolve itself?

After all, even if it wasn't even his fault in the first place, hindsight was still 20/20, and it was difficult to see shit through the visor that covered his face. Come to think of it, did he even have eyes!?

Alexander sighed as he flicked the page, his eyes settling on the pictures that took up whatever words didn't cover. The two photos were slightly blurry, but the large, green animal was easy enough to make out. One had it leaping onto a roof of considerable height, and the other, admittedly lower quality one had it tearing into what appeared to be an alien ship.

Because even if Alexander wasn't just some punk with a gun and badge anymore, there was still very little he liked more than his gossip, and this strange American beast was definitely intriguing. He'd only snagged the magazine because of the gossip, and- why did he feel unbalanced all of a sudden?

Alexander blinked as the magazine was torn from his grasp abruptly, his visor rising to see where it had gotten to. The new recruit wasn't even paying attention to the magazine he now held in his hand, his mouth having fallen open whilst his head had tilted up.

Alexander attempted to scratch his thigh as he followed Newby's gaze, slightly confused as to why nothing was touching his leg, and slightly angry over the fact that his stolen magazine had been stolen. Those feelings fled as soon as he caught sight of what was now plummeting towards to factory floor, to be replaced with an acceptance not unlike what he'd felt upon coming to terms with his cursed existence.

"…I liked that arm."

That settled it. Newby had been made of whatever they could scrape off the sides of the barrel.

Alexander's arm left a colourful trail across the wall as it spiralled into oblivion, narrowly missing a crane's shaft on the journey towards the floor. This portion of the factory, unfortunately, was governed completely by machines, leaving no possible witnesses for the strange event.

Oh well. He'd waited years for an eventual scandal that would end Daizo, what was yet another failed attempt? Maybe if he tried hard enough, he would be able to pull his other arm off with his teeth or something…

Alexander and Newby watched silently as the arm waved frantically, slowly losing its shape to gravity's whims. With one last desperate attempt at what might have been sign language, the appendage disappeared into the depths of an open box, one finger lifting over the edge before the lid was slammed shut and sealed.

A tear slipped through Alexander's visor, the blue ink falling from his chin. Oh, so he did have eyes. Good to know.

"Heh, whoops." Newby scratched the back of his helmet, and Alexander was soon finding himself wishing he could punch every tooth out of that grin. "My bad."

With that, Newby turned away, probably off to return to his post. Maybe if the world was lucky, he would walk off the raised platform whilst his nose was still buried in the magazine.

Alexander sighed mournfully as he fell against the safety rail, the metal digging uncomfortably into where his arm would have been. His eyes (and it was so good knowing that he had them) were back on the box that held his arm soon enough, watching the rest of its trek towards the factory doors.

If Alexander's eyesight had been a little better (fucking visor), he would have been able to make out the address on the side of the box, right as it disappeared from his sight.

_Titans Tower, Jump City._

**XxX**

Beast Boy rubbed his eyes with a thumb and forefinger, doing his best to ignore the dread rising in his stomach. A shiver ran down his back, the result of both the low temperature the garage would always exist at whilst stagnant, as well as the foreboding conversation he was to be faced with.

The last two weeks, mercifully, had been peaceful. The alarm hadn't rung once, a large relief on its own, but the simple fact that he didn't have to report for work would have done very little for Beast Boy's mood, not in lieu of recent events.

The fact that Robin, Raven, and Starfire had all awoken within a day, however, did wonders.

In what was rapidly becoming a metaphor for his life, unfortunately, the good news had very quickly been outweighed by the bad. It had taken very little time for it to happen, too, which was nice.

Evidently, the police of Jump City were being given a little too much credit. Sure, they had a handle on the small crimes being committed, and seemed to perform well when there weren't any superpowers involved, but apparently the retrieval mission of a broken man had proven fruitless.

Slade had escaped. Why he'd even been down there in person to begin with, Beast Boy didn't know, nor could he convince himself to care. Trying to understand Slade was like trying to put a collar on the Beast; impossible, and likely to get you killed in the process.

No, all that mattered was that there had been a robot where Beast Boy had left a human, and that was inherently suspicious. Minus the copious amounts of blood belonging to a war veteran, whom had been missing since before anyone could remember, whose genetic makeup appeared to be whatever had been left over after a stick of dynamite was shoved into a gene… swamp.

It was unfortunate, but if Beast Boy couldn't admit that he'd seen it coming, at least on some level, then Warp had definitely sent the wrong guy back in time.

Robots and consciousness aside, Beast Boy had still found himself uncomfortable with his recent circumstances. Robin had explained the plan, and why he'd recruited Beast Boy and nobody else, right before locking the suit up. Everyone had accepted the reasoning easily enough, but that didn't change the fact that he would feel Raven's eyes on him more often than not, and that the conversation he was about to hold was going to have to take place.

The door slid shut behind Beast Boy as he stepped further into the garage, one hand flinching upwards towards his side. His rib wasn't injured, not anymore, but he knew from experience that he would be feeling the phantom pain for a while yet.

"What's up, Cy?"

"Gimme a sec, BB." Even though he couldn't see his friend's face, Beast Boy let the tension fall from his shoulders. He'd become quite attune with the many tones Cyborg would take over (both) the time(s) they'd been teammates and friends, and this one had been too calm to be considered accusatory.

Really, he told himself, he had no reason to be worried. Cyborg had remained quiet for minutes after Robin had finished talking, finally vacating his seat during a lull in Starfire's barrage of questions.

"_I don't like it, but I understand it. Just don't do it again."_

Cyborg's office chair spun around, Beast Boy's gaze falling to the device in his hand. It was definitely unfamiliar, but given the way Cyborg was cradling it, he guessed it was important.

"How's the rib?" Cyborg asked, reaching for something he'd left on his desk. The… thing's screen, which Beast Boy hadn't even realised was a screen, flickered to life, a large set of eyes gazing unsettlingly into his.

Hastily, he looked away, choosing instead to stare at the foreign boxes along the wall. _'Point-Me Quickie, The Latest In Positioning Technology!',_ huh? Interesting, and new.

"For the hundredth time, it's fine."

Cyborg remained quiet, having heard the same response for the last week, no matter who he asked. Seemingly finding what he was looking for, he turned to face Beast Boy once more, never noticing the device in his hand quickly fade to black.

"Here." Whatever he had gathered was flicked through the air, flying at a speed any injured person would probably find problems with. "Catch."

Beast Boy raised a hand, flinching minutely as his rib twinged. He did manage to catch the…thing, after it had bounced off his forehead and into his hands.

Damn cybernetic humans and their computing.

Beast Boy glanced at what he was holding as Cyborg turned back to his car, his lips freezing before they were ready to project a word. It was relatively heavy, with veins of glowing blue technology that greatly resembled that which made up much of his friend's body.

The sides had long slits running down them, from the tip all the way to the-

"Cyborg, why the Hell did you just throw a dildo at me?"

"Because I thought it would be amusing. And I was right." Cyborg's head poked out of the driver's side front door, his legs dangling from the passenger's. "That's not what it is, though. It's a model."

Beast Boy had already dropped the…device(?), determinedly staring at the ceiling tile above his head. It landed on his foot, and he drew back instinctively.

Ow, fuck, rib.

"I don't need to know how you gain your income, Cy." Jesus Christ, he was going to have to visit the Doom Patrol, just so Mento could get rid of that mental image. He was already praying to the Moped Lord that this didn't have something to do with his alterations. "If that's all, I'm gonna go find some brain bleach."

Cyborg's head appeared through the passenger's side front window, mainly so Beast Boy could see him shake it. Seeing as neither of them were paying attention, nobody saw the T-Car briefly glow a pale pink. "Man, she chose a fun one… not that kind of model, dipshit."

Withdrawing his head, Cyborg climbed out of his baby, cracking his metallic fingers as he made his way back to his desk. He opened his mouth, an immature giggle escaping before he could cough it down.

"That's a bigger version of the thousands of things that Robin has… stuck in his head right now."

Beast Boy's head snapped back down, his chest groaning in protests that fell on deaf ears. He'd known what Slade had tried to do, and so far (thankfully), there hadn't been any negative side effects.

Nobody would ever be able to convince him that the mercenary wasn't a creepy paedophile, but…but…!

Despite the gravity of the subject, Beast Boy snorted, nursed the stinging side of his chest, and devolved into a fit that held as many coughs as it did guffaws.

Ugh, teenagers.

Beast Boy enjoyed the painful laughter for about three seconds, until everything that had been said registered.

He straightened with a strangled breath, wheezing out an agonised, "Thousands!?"

The word hung within the silence it created, Cyborg's lips falling from their previous merriment at the sudden shift in mood. Leaning back in his office chair, Cyborg snagged a notepad, flicking through the pages as he sighed.

"Yeah, thousands." Having found the page he wanted, Cyborg rested a hand against his knee, his tone undoubtedly superhero. "I scanned his head a few days back, and I'm not liking what I found. Rob might be in worse shape than we thought."

Not having anywhere else to sit, Beast Boy stepped over Cyborg's model, leaning against the T-Car's hood as he crossed his arms. "How so?"

Cyborg gestured towards the ground, not that Beast Boy turned to look. "I didn't build that thing because I wanted to. That's a scaled up version of the two gadgets I managed to pull out of Rob's ear. My guess is they got lost, but that's got nothing to do with it."

Some far off portion of his mind, incidentally being the furry part, informed him that Slade had probably chosen that shape as a way of having the last laugh, but another portion of his mind that wasn't quite so distant let him know that he should probably keep that to himself for now.

"They're everywhere, all over and in his brain. There's a massive group in the cerebral cortex, even more in the cerebellum, the colour of his brainstem is a light blue on all of my X-rays." Cyborg paused, raising an eyebrow at Beast Boy. The younger teen nodded; he'd understood everything that was being said, after having Mento as a leader for the better half of a decade, there wasn't really a chance he wouldn't be at least punctual when it came to the brain.

"From what I can tell, they're designed to shoot electricity down the right neural pathways, and block the signals coming from others. The worst part is that these things are voice activated." Cyborg licked his lips, glancing down at his notepad and flipping the page. "This sort of tech doesn't… shouldn't exist. Not at least for another few decades. I…I just…"

Cyborg trailed off, his eyes drifting to what Beast Boy had left on the floor. He would have been glaring at it, if his eyes weren't so unfocused.

"Voice activated?" Beast Boy repeated to himself, his arms losing some of their tension. He hadn't even thought to check Slade for any form of remote, far too preoccupied with getting Robin the Hell out of there. This new revelation freed him from the burden of those thoughts, but what about when Slade came after them again? With a few words, Robin would be in a coma, or forced to fight against them, or…

Or…

Beast Boy's eye widened, the memories of that night on the front of his mind. The idea was absurd, he knew that, but with his interactions with Robin at their absolute minimum lately, there was always that slight possibility.

"Cyborg." He called sharply, snapping the older boy out of whatever reverie he'd fallen into. "How would these things know who was giving the command?" Uncrossing his arms, Beast Boy ran a hand through his hair, trying out one of the breathing exercises Rita had taught him. Something about it helping to deal with Mento, or whatever. "I mean, he wanted me as well, but what would be the point if everyone could order us around?"

Cyborg's tongue darted out to wet his lips as he pondered. "Uh… I dunno. Keying in vocal patterns would be easy enough, but noise coming into our heads ain't exactly the same as when they go into our ears. There's just more in the way."

Beast Boy felt his heartbeat quickening. God damn it, why did this shit keep happening? "So, they would have to be programmed to obey the first voice they hear when they get into someone's body?"

Cyborg watched uneasily as Beast Boy started pacing, his distress almost palpable. He wasn't exactly sure what picture Beast Boy was painting, but chances weren't on it being good. "If we weren't talking about brainwashing nanobots, I would probably say that's impossible. But right now, I can't say for sure. I haven't been able to research these things enough."

Beast Boy opened his mouth again, immediately being cut off as Cyborg held up a hand. "That ain't it, though."

Taking his surrogate brother's silence as a green light, Cyborg consulted his notepad again. "You know the blood you left behind?"

Beast Boy nodded. Not a stiff nod, he held no regrets over his actions.

"Well, I got a sample from your uniform to test, and it's probably the freakiest genetic makeup I've seen, after you and Rae." Tapping a finger against the words paper, Cyborg started reading off what Beast Boy guessed was a list of sorts.

"The red and white blood cell count is ridiculous, there are twice as many chemicals as there should be in a normal human body, and the cells in general are… behaving like you'd probably expect, if they were still in a body." Beast Boy felt as though that explanation had been dumbed down exponentially, something he was thankful for. "It's like those comic book storylines, with super soldiers and all that, and my best guess is that Slade figured out what gave him all of that, because Robin's body is acting the same way."

Beast Boy froze. Or perhaps the world around him froze, because he could suddenly hear the blood roaring in his ears. "What."

"How do you think Robin survived? You brought the syringe back with you, and I couldn't find even a blemish anywhere on him, unless it was in his pants. The needle would have left a mark." Well, they were talking about Slade. The needle could have been in the pants, nobody would know for certain.

Dammit, not the time.

Cyborg rubbed his chin, his eyes on the ceiling. "Now that I think about it, I would guess that the voice thing would take hold after they were in place. Any accidental commands could have fried something important on the way through the head. I couldn't find anything that would point otherwise, anyway."

Aaaaand there was that dread Beast Boy had misplaced over the last minute or so. He'd been wondering where that'd gotten to.

"How long would it take for them to get into place?"

Cyborg glanced at Beast Boy, then at his notepad, then at Beast Boy again, before turning the page of his notepad and reading over his writing quickly.

"I haven't had a chance to test Rob's regen – that's a damn weird sentence – but given his condition when you got him to the tower, and everything you put in the police report – which I totally didn't read illegally – I would go with… right before he woke up, give or take a few seconds?" Cyborg lifted the page, shaking his head as he let it fall back down. "That's speculation at best. Like I said, I've never seen this sorta thing before."

Beast Boy rubbed at the sudden ache in his forehead, which may or may not have been a result of him punching himself in said forehead a moment beforehand. "Alright. Great. Perfect… Fuck. Fuuuuuck."

Cyborg threw his notepad onto his desk, killing the void in his hands with his car keys. "You're about to say something, and I'm not going to like it, am I?"

The urge to bash his head against the T-Car's hood was a powerful one, but mental images of what Cyborg would do to him if he damaged his precious baby in any way were barely enough to stop him. "I may have told Robin to stop talking and rest until he got to the tower when he woke up, give or take a few seconds."

Cyborg frowned as he clicked the button in his grasp, the car's engine roaring to life in response.

"Ye-ep, I was right."

Two strange things happened in the following second.

Quicker than an eye not belonging to Beast Boy could follow, a metal slab slid down to cover the T-Car's windshield, pulling itself up a fraction of a second later. The pair of large, purple, animated eyes that had appeared from nowhere on the windshield curved upwards, the line below them following suit, before forming a small 'O'.

"Ohayō, Senpai!"

Beast Boy and Cyborg probably would have taken a lot more time out of their schedule to stare at that odd occurrence some more, had the entire room not filled with some sort of gas in the next blink of an eye.

Eyelids grew heavy all around as everyone in the tower fell to the floor.

"Good morning, my little sprogs!"

If he had the energy, Beast Boy would have heaved a long suffering sigh from his position against the T-Car's front wheel.

He'd almost been thankful for the distraction.

**XxX**

I have had this scene planned since the very beginning. The idea comes from that one Scooby Doo movie, where they have that talking GPS that snarks all the time. "What are you waiting for, directions? DRIVE!" remains one of my favourite lines from any cartoon to this day.

Last chapter should have been the end of Season One happenings, but unfortunately, Mad Mod has no sense of timing. And come to think of it, the ending of this chapter got a little stereotypy, huh?

As much as turning the T-Car into a fucking anime character can be considered stereotypical. And before you ask, that was a very recent decision, affecting the actual car and not the GPS only, one that I am ultimately unsure of but steadfast in conviction, because it amuses me and hopefully it'll amuse you too.

The major villain of Season Two, I don't think I'll make it Slade. Considering the circumstances, and all that. No, what I have in mind is far less serious, because this story is listed under Humour and I think Beast Boy is about to have a heart attack.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I rushed it out in a little under two hours, after realising how long it had been since the last update. That happens more than I would like to admit.

Thank you to all the people who reviewed, you people are probably my favourite people. Hopefully you'll see me in less than a month this time. Apologies for the enormous note at the end, that also happens more than I would like to admit.

Any mistakes, please let me know. Editing is difficult when you don't want to do it.

Later.

_**X**_


	20. Chapter 18 - Maddened Clatter

I like Mad Mod, don't get me wrong, but Holy Hell do I hate writing him.

**XxX**

_Chapter eighteen - Maddened Clatter_

_If you don't remember falling asleep, you need to be quick about waking up._

Mento's words cut through the fog that had gathered within Beast Boy's skull, his eyes flying open in the next second. A fraction of a second later, over half a lifetime of training kicked in, the groan that had been fighting up his larynx being crushed down and his eyelids sliding closed – hopefully before his captor had noticed them open.

The rubber binding him to what he could only assume was a chair was all the evidence Beast Boy needed, his lips twitching before he could stop them. Maybe the whole Red X thing had been early, or maybe Mod was running late, he didn't care; this was confirmation that Cyborg's car had _spoken_ to him.

Well, it could have been talking to Cyborg. Beast Boy had learnt many things in his lifetime, and Japanese was not one of them.

Something near him gave a metallic creak, all thoughts of a sentient, foreign automobile being pushed to back of his mind as Beast Boy's eyelids cracked open into slits. He could hear mumbling somewhere behind him, the accent making the already distinguishable voice even more so. Light that felt natural against his skin blinded him temporarily as he shifted his pupil to the side, the minor distraction clearing away with a few blinks to grant him the sight of his friends.

Robin had already been bound by the wrists and ankles, his arm illuminated by the strange energy keeping Starfire in her seat. Cyborg had been strapped in much the same was as he himself had been; an obnoxiously large obstacle, in this case a slab of metal, spread across his chest. All three looked to still be unconscious, and he would have to risk turning his head for Raven to enter his peripheral vision, if his nose was to be believed.

He knew it was, and so he did.

Feigning drowsy discomfort, Beast Boy closed his eyes, rotating his neck as he pushed himself upwards. The muttering stopped for a moment, and Beast Boy let out a silent breath once it restarted a few seconds later.

"Let's see 'ere, bit of a swirl, line down the middle- ah bollocks!"

Curious, Beast Boy cracked his eyes open again, his interest piquing instantaneously at the sight he was subject to.

Raven hadn't yet been bound by anything other than normal restraints, no white line around her midsection or hands. Mad Mod himself was crouching behind the chair, a book laid upon the ground beside him and a small paintbrush in his hands.

The light was more than enough for Beast Boy to make out some of the pictures on the pages, a strangled breath almost leaving his lips once he recognised them.

The book was Raven's, the pictures depicting symbols that he would guess to be Azarathian in nature. He'd seen it in her hands more than once, whenever she'd bring her reading to the couch, or the table, or wherever else around the tower she frequented.

He'd figured it was a book of magic, so what was Mod doing with it?

Beast Boy received his answer a moment later as Mod flicked the brush a few more times, white rings encircling Raven's waist, arms and legs as he gathered the book and stood up. Beast Boy slammed his eyes shut as he turned around, the sunlight leaving his skin as something overhead rumbled.

He made sure to keep himself completely still as Mod's footsteps travelled past his chair. A door slammed shut a moment later, and Beast Boy tested the strength of his bonds as he pushed himself against the back of the chair and up.

They stretched, up to a certain point, before becoming too taut to move any further. Without any leverage, Beast Boy could offer no resistance, choosing instead to slump back down in his chair and let out a sigh, bringing forth any memory of the building he'd found himself in as lights flickered on around him.

**XxX**

Twelve minutes and forty-eight seconds later (or thereabouts, he'd lost count a few times), Beast Boy's ears picked up a groan coming from beside him, his eyes snapping open and a silent hallelujah passing his lips now that the boredom was over.

Why he'd woken up before everyone else, he had no clue. Maybe he could figure it out later, right after figuring out how he'd missed the fact that Mod was apparently a wizard.

Who knew?

Everyone was blinking tiredly as he turned to them, looking less graceful than a team of superheroes probably should. Beast Boy's eyes lingered on Robin for a moment, actually getting to examine his leader for the first time since the Red X suit was created. They'd both taken to avoiding the other when possible, or Robin had taken to avoiding him, and Beast Boy had taken to understanding that Robin was Robin and Robin was weird.

Either way, he looked alright, no visible sign of having phallic, robotic parasites in his head showing anywhere on his body. That was reassuring.

Hehe, penis.

Beast Boy forced the stupid grin off his lips, shrinking down into a starfish after a moment's thought and shifting back to human before the rubber could crush him. The restraints may have been specially personalised for each titan, but the cuffs binding his wrists and ankles were not.

Having his arms and legs at his disposal would probably be useful in the moments to come, especially seeing as he couldn't remember what had happened before…was Cyborg the one that had managed to wake him up?

Damn hypno-screens. It was a wonder Mento's training didn't leave him emotionally scarred after he caught wind of _that_ colossal failure on Beast Boy's part. Especially considering he'd been locked in mortal combat with the fucking Brain on and off for a quarter of his life.

Maybe Mod being a wizard made more sense than he'd originally thought.

Before Beast Boy had a chance to distract himself with that latest brain teaser, the enormous doors before them all burst forth, a human shaped hologram throwing himself down the stairs with reckless abandon.

**XxX**

The young adult visage of Mad Mod hit the ground with less noise than should have been considered possible if one were being limited to the tyranny of physics, his cane clacking against the tile that was beneath him, just like he liked to think everything was, twice as he opened his mouth.

"'Ello, my little duckies!" Beast Boy cringed back as the voice grated against his eardrums, his arms twitching from where they were crossed over his chest. He couldn't exactly cover his ears with them; Mod was oblivious to most things, but putting an advantage on display like that just wasn't intelligent. "Welcome to Mad Mod's Institute for Bratty Teenage Do-Gooders!"

"Of all the people to be captured by, it had to be a stereotype…" Raven mumbled, straining against the magical coils keeping her in place.

Beast Boy snickered quietly when his hearing picked that statement up, all noise from him being cut off immediately once something else was picked up. Was that…paper being rustled?

Mod spun his cane around absently, doing a little jig to a song only he could hear. It made him look slightly crazy…er.

"Uh…" There was that paper rustling again. Where was that coming from? "Congrats to you five for being the first students present. Here at Mad Mod's Institute for Bratty Teenage Do-Gooders, we pride ourselves on teaching sprogs such as yourselves some manners!"

Something like a page being turned caught Beast Boy's attention, still too subtle to be anything other than a tiny blip on a radar. Mod had stopped talking again, and a sudden grin split Beast Boy's face as the apparition two-stepped past his chair.

Was Mod…reading a script? Oh, oh, that was precious. And hilarious.

Time to enjoy himself.

"May I be excused from lessons pertaining to manners?" Beast Boy called, drawing all attention to himself. Everyone apart from Mod noticed his lack of being cuffed to the chair immediately, though nobody decided to bring it up. "You see, my parents died when I was really young, and the possibility of being asked if my mother taught me any manners is a very triggering experience."

Beast Boy didn't look away from Mod, so he missed the relatively entertaining reactions from Cyborg and Robin. Starfire was still tugging her arms zealously, and Raven had settled on just staring.

Mod blinked, whirling around and crouching so he was almost nose to nose with Beast Boy. An eyebrow rose, probably expecting a response that held more anger or indignation, as he poked the teenager in the forehead with his cane.

"Now now, my snot coloured duckie!" Mod poked him between the eyes again, probably for good measure. "I didn't go to all the trouble of designing these chairs and filling your tower with sleepy gas, so I could be lenient in my lessons! You'll just have to suck that up, I'm afraid."

Beast Boy pushed himself as far back as his chair would allow. "Please don't get that close; I can smell your breath."

Maybe if it were a different villain, Beast Boy would tread carefully. If Slade had been the one tying him to a chair, or Brother Blood had been a few seconds away from decimating his mind, he would have spent his time looking for a solution to his enormous problem in silence.

But this was Mad Mod. The guy who probably relied on his cane to come up with the plans. The guy with a fetish for youth and anything that came with it. The guy who'd constructed a massive maze of specially designed hypnotic screens and statues that fired fuckin' missiles so he could role-play as a teacher.

That was some dedication, true, but if _Mad Mod_ was the one to end him, then he probably deserved it.

So long as he didn't go too far, Mod probably wouldn't even do anything anyway. In his experience, crazy people didn't model an entire building just to blow you away in seconds. If he was going to be strapped to a chair for the foreseeable future, he'd be damned if he got nothing out of it.

Or maybe he just had no instincts of self-preservation. Who knew? Anything to drown out the fact that Cyborg's car had _spoken_ to him- ah damn it.

"Ah, the class clown." Mod twirled his cane, which would have been impressive had he been real. But he wasn't, so it wasn't. " As if your misbehavin' wasn't bad enough already. Now shut up, you're ruining my delivery."

Beast Boy remained obediently silent as Mod cleared his throat, though all attention still remained on him.

Mod sucked in a breath, bracing himself on the tip of his cane as he stared at Beast Boy expectantly.

Beast Boy blinked up at him innocently.

"Your American system of schooling is utter garbage compared to where it should be." Mod glanced away from Beast Boy, who had still yet to open his mouth again. "Not a single school I've taught at has what it takes to survive my curriculum."

"So there aren't enough cameras in the boys' locker room?" Cyborg inquired, his face determinedly blank. Whatever had been pumped into the tower had clouded his systems, and they'd finally cleared enough to tell him the man standing in front of him was not real. No heat signature, no vitals, no breathing, no real chance of allowing himself to be left out of the fun.

Robin, Starfire, and Raven had all stopped struggling, opting instead to watch the unfolding scene in what could be considered morbid curiosity.

Beast Boy snorted, breaking the staring contest Mod had dragged him into in favour of glancing over at his best friend. "You can look at those clothes and think that's where he wants the cameras?"

Mod's crazed composure seemed to shatter at those words, his body twitching violently as he swiped his cane through the air to bounce it off Beast Boy's temple.

It hurt. A lot. Somehow.

"No duckies are allowed to insult my flag!" He declared vehemently, Beast Boy squawking in equal parts pain and indignation. "DETENTION!"

The ground beneath Beast Boy's chair opened up, and everyone gave a shout of various levels of worry as he was swallowed up by the darkness.

The tension melted from their faces a second later, as Beast Boy's gradually diminishing voice echoed back to them.

"_Why did that upset you more than the accusation of being a gay pedophiiiiiiileeeee…?_"

**XxX**

Beast Boy's chair hit the ground with a resounding thud, kicking up whatever dust had managed to settle on the pristine, chequer tiled floor. The boy in question was busy rubbing at the forming bruise on the side of his head, his lips tilted into a scowl and a stream of disgruntled grumblings spilling from his mouth.

Okay, so there was some definitive evidence. This was no dream.

Cyborg apparently had, in fact, created artificial life. He'd most likely remember to ask about that later, there was very little chance he could forget something like that.

Now if only he would remember to refrain from antagonising the villains that had him strapped to a chair, but where was the fun in that?

"Try'na free yourself already?" The voice echoed from multiple speakers Beast Boy could see buried in the walls, a sketch of Mod's face drawing itself on the blackboard in from of him in a slightly disturbing manner.

The drawing 'tsked', shaking itself back and forth. "Naughty naughty."

Beast Boy opened his mouth to fire off a retort, only to have it clamped shut. His nostrils filled with the scents of metal and wood, Beast Boy's glanced down, noting the strange hand that had slapped itself over the bottom half of his face.

A moment later, another hand was in his hair, pulling his eyes back up painfully.

Beast Boy growled low in his throat, narrowing his eyes at the drawing. The spirals that had started splaying across the walls of the room were ignored easily enough, though he did feel his eyelids droop slightly in in sudden exhaustion.

He was still vulnerable to the screens; the way Mento had explained it, there was just something in the pattern that could traverse the wires holding his brain together, causing havoc the entire way. Every person had different weaknesses; Mod had just managed to strike gold with this particular pattern.

The effects could be counteracted, but it required a level of mental discipline and strength he just hadn't been in possession of.

Good thing for him, now he was.

"This here is the detention hall." Something creaked from beside him, and Beast Boy soon found his neck muscles to be stronger than the hands holding his head still when he turned to look. The wall of the room, which lay a considerable distance away from him, was sliding in his direction at a speed that was almost too slow to notice.

A similar noise from the other side of his chair confirmed his suspicions.

"Soon, you'll be learning a lesson you'll never forget!" The drawing on the board crowed, rotating until it was staring at him sideways. Beast Boy watched on as it opened its mouth again, before closing it with an audible click of teeth clashing against teeth.

Maybe Mod _was_ a wizard.

"Until then, you can use this time to think about what you've done!" The drawing grinned, an incredible disturbing sight, all things considered. "And you won't even have to be alone for it, my little snot!"

Beast Boy perked up. Someone else had managed to annoy Mod to the point of using this ridiculous detention hall? What a good influence he was proving himself to be.

Hopefully it was Cyborg. Or Starfire. Walls weren't nearly as dangerous when they could be punched through.

The ceiling in front of Beast Boy slid open slowly, the teenager doing his best to tilt his head upwards to watch. The hand holding the bottom of his face protested his movement, its complaints finally being acknowledged once it managed to work through the limited amount of patience Beast Boy had set aside for it.

The mechanical arm left a sizeable dent against the blackboard when it bounced off of it, a massive bite mark stretching across more than half its length.

That taken care of, Beast Boy reached above the rubber bounding his body to dust off his hands, the action soon proving to be moot as a chair thudded down in front of him, kicking up a brand new cloud of dust.

Coughing lightly to empty his lungs, Beast Boy allowed his eyes to crack open, the breath he was using to clear the air in front of his face petering out into a strangled squeak at the sight before him.

**XxX**

The oil rig Mod had transformed into a school of horrors required a lot of attention, if everything was to run smoothly.

Many of the tunnels that the chairs and statues user to move around connected in some form or another. If a chair had to get from point A to point B, then Mod had to manually open a gate through. If there was a situation that required violence to be dealt with, then Mod would be the one delegating a squad of statue busts and flipping the switch on their safety.

Many months had passed since the start of the project. Mod had built for many sleepless nights, cobbling missiles together from the few explosives he could get his hands on, as well as the passageways they would move through. Researching and throwing the multitudes of hypnotic screens had taken even longer, and had only come to fruition once Mod had realised that he could build robots to take care of the building.

But robots, or at least, the robots he was capable of building, couldn't think. They couldn't plan or strategize, and they certainly couldn't outmanoeuvre a group that had been proven time and time again to be filled with at least passable intelligence.

So what Mod had to control, he controlled. Fighting the system down until it could be operated with only two hands had been a pain in the ass, but that just made everything with the ability to function of its own that much more useful.

Such as the simple machine he'd built to automatically change the clothes of those he sent to the gym.

Mod was busy grumbling under his breath, his limbs shaking slightly with the strain of keeping everything from blowing up as he switched the screen in front of him to the camera that had been set up in the detention hall. He'd been busy setting the large one up to be hacked when an alarm had gone off above his head, a screen off to the side and a little below eye-level alight with complaints about some cosmetic damage being done to the blackboard.

It wasn't very important, but leaving that sort of transgression alone would shatter the illusion of omnipresence.

The screen erupted into static as it established a connection to the camera he needed, one hand moving towards the lever that would release a flood of statues, the other making its way over to turn on the speakers situated in the room.

Then the picture cleared, and both froze.

There had been a lot of 'school' planned before the building process began, and more built before Mod ran out of room. Every Titan had been given a special classroom that they would end up and hopefully die in, each for relatively simple reasons.

The leader had gotten a plain homeroom, in credence to his lack of anything special besides training. The alien had gotten a library, filled with the knowledge of a world in which she was an outsider. The robot had gotten a computer lab, go figure, and the goth was dumped into the gym, mainly because he hadn't found a single video of the team fighting where she did anything physically strenuous. That had left the green one with a science lab, due of his illogical powers, but that plan had been blown when the brat had decided to rile him up.

Of them all, the gym had needed the least work, because almost everything in it ran automatically. The hologram that appeared there was just a video with a filter put over it, and the statues situated in the large room were all just remodelled automated pitching machines. Even the hypnotic screens were set to random timers, just to add another venue of exhaustion.

And there was, of course, the machine he'd built to act like a locker room, which operated whilst the girl was still confined to the chair.

There were a dozen outfits the machine could choose from randomly, most of them modified. The rugby outfit had small weights stitched into everywhere they would fit, and that was the most merciful one he could think of off the top of his head. The handcuffs on the chair were actually designed to detach from the wood and to each other, as well as be reeled back in automatically, all meant to be a part of the disparaging punishment he wanted to be the last thing they ever felt.

The girl had mouthed off unenthusiastically the entire time, her insults filled with a lazed sort of venom and hurtful to listen to. He'd eventually just sent her to the same room as the green brat after she went too far, so he'd never actually seen what outfit she'd been forced into before she went, because there were no cameras in or around the 'locker room'.

He may have been aiming for evil murder, but there was such a thing as decency. The machine changed all clothes, taking off everything before putting anything back on, mainly to avoid something asinine and undignified, like suffocation. He was no pervert, no matter how many times he was to be accused of such.

Peeping in on naked girls was something old men did. He was no old man! He'd even made sure to inform the girl of the lack of cameras beforehand, just to assuage any fears she may have had.

There was the possibility she didn't believe him, but that wasn't his problem. And really, if you couldn't trust the guy who'd knocked you out, kidnapped you, and tied you to a chair, then who _could_ you trust?

Probably literally anyone else, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that the outfit the machine had chosen had been put in there as a joke, with absolutely no perverted undertones, shut up, and the poor snot child's face was filling with so much blood that Mod was genuinely worried it would start flowing out of his nose and make a mess on the floor.

And he couldn't really blame the kid, because careless joke or not, it looked _good_ on her.

Annoying the leader was sounding like a _really_ good idea right now.

Mod coughed awkwardly into his fist, finding another camera in the building to display its picture on the screen. The busts that had been gathered behind the tarp that was the room's back wall remained where they were, their weapons slowly powering down as their creator completely forgot they existed.

If they were rational creatures, and not made out of marble, they probably wouldn't have blamed him.

**XxX**

Ever since he'd first seen Raven without her hood castings shadows across her face, Beast Boy had considered her to be attractive.

Of course, being a young teenager in the beginning stages of puberty, he'd never really known how to process that thought. The closest he'd ever gotten whilst thinking about the subject was the fact that she was…different.

She wasn't different in the same sense as Starfire, a beauty of otherworldly appeal. Beast Boy had never really seen Starfire quite in that light anyway, too inexperienced in any aspect of life at that point to really try. The fact that she and Robin were so obviously immediately smitten with one another may have also had something to do with it.

He could acknowledge that Starfire was beautiful, in both body and personality. She was one of his dearest friends, someone he would gladly give anything for if it would make her happy.

But it wasn't really the same. Starfire was a catch, to be sure, but there had just been something about Raven. Something that went beyond her face or her personality or even her intellect, something he would only occasionally catch a glimpse of whenever she smiled.

He'd always considered Raven to be attractive.

But not even in his dreams had he considered she could be so… _hot_.

Beast Boy felt his face grow hot as Raven pulled herself into a more comfortable position, most likely unintentionally thrusting her chest out slightly. The cheerleader outfit she was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination, and a distant part of his brain noted that she'd been sent to a gym class.

That part of his brain was thanked, and then asked to kindly shut the fuck up because everything else was trying to concentrate.

Make-up wasn't seen very often in the tower, not since Starfire had gotten herself banned from bringing any home after the 'Cyan Incident', so Beast Boy had no idea what any of the stuff on Raven's face was supposed to be called.

Having the products in the tower probably wouldn't have done much to bolster his knowledge regardless, but that little portion of logic seemed to slip between the cracks of his mind.

Raven turned back to him and blinked, and Beast Boy caught sight of the same shade of purple around her eyes being on her eyelids, her lengthened eyelashes fluttering with the movement. His eyes travelled south of their own volition, and he remembered a moment too late that Raven was now sporting a skirt and her legs were being held apart.

Attractive might as well have been a scorch mark covered speck on the horizon at this point, if that.

The world almost seemed to melt away from around him, and he was only distantly aware of the drool that was gathering at the corner of his mouth.

In that same second, his hand came up to slap himself in the cheek, chiding himself harshly as his head jerked to the side.

"_**Quit staring, dipshit."**_

Hold on a second, that wasn't the voice he was expecting to hear.

Beast Boy's eyebrows furrowed, vaguely registering Raven's legs twitching and her head turning away as his attention shifted from external to internal.

'_Did you… take control of my body, just to slap me?'_

"_**You stopped focusing, and let the hypnosis through. I had to."**_ The voice echoed back, sounding angered. Not the typical searing hot rage against the world in general that Beast Boy had come to associate with the Beast, more like tired ember, smouldering against kindling already spent. _**"And if you couldn't tell already, she's uncomfortable enough as is without your attention, you dunce."**_

An eyebrow rose. Since when did the Beast say dunce? And… _'Since when do you care?'_

A low growl was his only response.

Beast Boy frowned as he felt the Beast retreat, finding himself staring at the ceiling as he uncrossed his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he could still see Raven fidgeted minutely, a fang sinking into his lip slightly to stop the curse that wanted to escape his throat.

He'd been too blindsided to even notice.

"I'm sorry." Raven glanced at him, a small portion of pink splashing across her cheeks as Beast Boy caught her eyes and gave her a small smile. "I… really wasn't expecting that."

Hesitating for a moment, Raven settled on a small nod, her gaze shifting back to the wall. Relieved, Beast Boy decided to continue the conversation, sticking to what he hoped was a safe and non-embarrassing topic.

"So… why are you in detention?"

The response was quiet, even for Raven, but regardless, Beast Boy was still gaping at the girl after hearing it.

"I offered to heal Mod's teeth."

**XxX**

Ah, you awkward teenagers.

I'm too tired to add anything here, except that Mod is extremely difficult to write for me. Nothing feels natural, which is especially jarring, because I usually just type what feels natural at the time. Mod goes against my very nature and I don't like that.

Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed. Any mistakes, feel free to point them out to me. Next chapter should have more about everything in general, so you can look forward to that.


	21. Chapter 19 - T-Car-chan-sensei-sama-etc

_Chapter nineteen – T-Car-chan-sensei-sama-senpai-san-kun-dono-jiji-nee_

_Let's play with time once again, shall we?_

Well now, today certainly had become interesting.

Safe within the shadows of a particularly large boulder, a dark pair of eyes watched silently as two more of those obnoxious statues flew out of the Titan's home, these ones holding the unconscious robot. Floating in a boat a few dozen meters off the shore, an elderly man was cackling loud enough to be heard on the beach, alternating between strapping the heroes into strange chairs and rubbing his hands together gleefully.

So long as he had any say, the Titans would never live this one down.

Ever.

The stranger chuckled as he pulled a grappling gun out of the sack he'd flung over his shoulder, the noise mocking and youthful. Getting to the island that housed the Titans and camping there undetected for three days hadn't been the easiest thing he'd ever done in his life, but it was far from the most difficult. Hell, in this weather, the experience could have been considered pleasant.

He would almost be sad to leave his latest hiding place, considering that nobody who was searching for him would ever think to look here, but now he had an opening. Thievery from one of the most secure buildings on the planet could probably be considered up there as far as troublesome self-imposed tasks went, and if he had anything left to lose, he probably wouldn't even consider it.

Except now the denizens of said ridiculously secure building had been kidnapped, and the kidnapper had been kind enough to leave a window open on his way out. And he hadn't even bothered to ransack the joint for anything it was worth, except for a few books… and a ham sandwich.

Dumbass. When would he ever get another chance like this? Shit, when would _anyone_ ever get another chance like this?

The hook of his grappling gun flew through the opened window with unnatural ease, regardless of the fact that it was at least a few dozen meters up. The climb wouldn't be much of an issue; even if he hadn't trained specifically to be able to utilise his target, he had still premeditated breaking into the home of the freakin' Titans.

Some people would call that stupid.

They wouldn't be wrong.

The unmistakable sound of metal striking metal echoed from the open window, the rope being pulled taut a second later. His grin reflecting victory, the uninvited guest flicked the button underneath his index finger, his form little more than a black smudge as he was yanked into the air. A few feats worthy of an Olympic gymnast later, he was rolling along the floor of the Titans' living room, his eyes flicking in all directions in a quick yet thorough search for unsprung traps.

Nothing jumped out at him. Or attempted to stab him. Or-

More adapt than any bewitched marionette, the stranger threw himself back to his feet, his grin widening at the sight of a perfectly turned on and functional computer terminal in front of him.

Almost twitching with anticipation, he reached forth… only for his hands to freeze, the smile slipping from his lips as he stared uncomprehendingly at the screen in front of him.

The screen stared back, _its_ smile spreading wider with every passing second.

"Kon'nichiwa!" She...it...(?) cried in a horrible, undecipherable accent, the computer _erupting_ out of the wall and flying towards his face. Throwing himself backwards, the stranger rolled twice, his eyes widening in panic as the screen followed after him, completely unrelenting in its pursuit.

"Who are you?" The thing asked cheerfully as he pushed himself off the ground, the cable attaching the computer to the wall showing no signs of running out anytime soon as the screen followed him over the couch. Its enormous eyes blinked down at him, and if those eyes didn't belong to _whatever the fuck_ was chasing him, he would have thought the gesture looked rather… adorable.

Right now, he was really regretting making his latest in a _looooong_ line of bad decisions.

"What the fuck are you!?" He didn't scream, necessarily. It came out more a manly shriek than anything else, and seeing as there were no witnesses, that was the story he would stick to for the rest of his days.

"Kon'nichiwa, What-The-Fuck-Are-You-kun!" The screen swerved around the salvo of utensils the Tower's newest guest hurled over his shoulder, the distance between the two neither widening nor narrowing as they completed the first circuit around the circular room. "My name is T-Car-chan!"

Oh, look at that. He'd made a new friend.

Lovely, time to leave.

Spinning on his heel, the stranger leapt to the side, vaulting over the kitchen counter and sending a glass full of something green and slimy flying into the back of the couch. The glass shattered, and the stranger did his best to ignore the slime's angered shrieks as he snatched his grappling gun from where he'd dropped it and made a beeline for the window.

The window that was right behind the screen that had been chasing him. The window that had just been slammed shut, whilst his face was only a few inches away from it.

Yeah. Ouch.

"Gomenasai, What-The-Fuck-Are-You-kun!" The thing's voice rose slightly in pitch as the stranger slid to the floor, a constant, low moan of agony leaving his lips. "Senpai would be very mad at me if I let all the heat out while he was playing with his friends, hai hai!"

"Whyyyyyyy…" the teenager groaned, the medical mask he had been using to hide his identity slowly being stained red. He didn't even know what he was asking about; the window, the pain, or how much of a sadistic fuck the robot was for making his waifu part of the security system. "I…I just wanted the suit…"

"Suit?" Despite barely being able to see through the tears in his eyes, the intruder still managed to flinch back as the screen once again invaded his personal space. "T-Car-chan will help you!"

A flare of pink entered the corner of the stranger's vision, and with another groan of pain he tilted his head, his vocalisations cutting themselves short as the light died down.

The toaster, now bright pink, jumped from the kitchen counter, scurrying around the couch and up to the stranger's face. The screen's mouth split into a wide grin as the toaster skid to a halt, leaving a trail of charred carpet behind as something erupted out of the top of it with a loud pop.

"Suit!" T-Car-chan sang gleefully, as a flaming and burnt beyond a crisp version of Robin's suit, complete with pants, boots, cape and utility belt, landed on the stranger's face.

Oddly enough, after the stranger had managed to tear the offending piece of fabric away from his face, he didn't seem any worse for wear. If anything, the whistle that had accompanied his breathing after he had slammed into the window had lessened, and what was visible of his face was no longer contorted in pain.

Until it became apparent that his actions equalled dissatisfaction and the portion of ceiling above him slid open, a full suit of armour crashing down onto his back in the following seconds.

With no air left in his lungs to complain, and possible a few broken bones, the stranger thrashed weakly under the heavy metal, managing to catch sight of the screen's small grin and…were those fangs?

"Suit?" Hmm, apparently not. Weakly, the stranger managed to shake his head, before the empty suit of armour climbed off his back and picked him up by the throat.

Yeah, at this point, he was beyond questioning things.

Still unable to breathe, the stranger watched in (unwilling) silent fascination as the suit of armour's helm slowly creaked open, two flat gloves poking up through the hole a second later.

Not. Questioning. Anything. Mainly because he didn't have enough air left in his lungs to form sentences.

His face was already turning blue by the time the Red X suit had managed to climb out of the armour, the top of it tilting back and forth like a possessed bobble-head figurine. After a few seconds of staggering, the empty suit reached up, pulled the helmet off, tucked it under one arm, and exposed the abyss of emptiness that resided within it to the world.

Totally the lack of oxygen. Totally.

Giving the stranger a salute with its free glove, the Red X suit allowed itself to be scooped up by the armour, giving the window it was subsequently thrown through very little regard. If one were looking, they would have seen it brushing shards of glass off its sleeve on the way down.

"Sayōnara, What-The-Fuck-Are-You-kun!" Was barely registered by the oxygen starved brain of the Red X suit's newest owner, before his back was slamming through the window beside the one that had already been broken and the ocean came rushing up to meet him. The pain faded as soon as it emerged, and Red X was left staring uncomprehendingly at his now gloved hands and wondering what the fuck he had just been subjected to as his mask broke the water's surface.

**XxX**

The walls had had enough time to crawl forth at least half a meter by the time Beast Boy managed to get his laughter under control.

"That…you…!" Beast Boy took a deep breath, letting some of the air escape in hesitant hiccups. He couldn't help it; the shock that had followed Raven through the ceiling had needed time to wear off completely, and Beast Boy's eyes felt cleaner as he raised his head to look at his friend, being sure to keep his gaze above her neck.

He snorted once more, for good measure, before fighting the smile from his lips. Raven stared right back, her legs twitching occasionally; whether from emotion or whatever was being used to keep her in her seat, he couldn't tell.

"So…" Where to start, where too start? "…We're trapped."

…Well done, Beast Boy.

Raven blinked at him, shifting around uncomfortably in her chair. Beast Boy scribed a mental note to punch himself in the face twice later, one for every second of allowing his eyes to fall down to her chest. "Apparently."

Beast Boy licked his lips as he glanced down at his own bindings, tapping his claws against the inside thrice, just to be _absolutely_ sure that he wasn't able to get out. The wall was starting to get kinda close, after all.

"Uh, mine's rubber. I think. I can't cut it, and I don't want to see what will happen if I try to snap it." The wall to his left creaked ominously, and whether by design or malfunction, slid two full tiles closer to them. A nervous laugh bubbled from his throat as he turned back to his companion, one hand poking out of the band around his midsection to gesture at the rings engulfing Raven's wrists. "Yours?"

With barely a motion, Raven's eyes flickered down to her bindings, her brow creasing slightly as she concentrated on moving her arms. Beast Boy watched the lines appearing and disappearing across her forehead with something approaching fascination, the focus immediately returning to his eyes as Raven cried out in pain and let her arm slump down.

She'd gotten it too close to the strange white lines, and Beast Boy could see the angry red mark that it had left behind.

"Magic, I think." Raven closed her eyes, and Beast Boy gulped lightly as a black ring of power built up around her right hand. With a sound not unlike an explosion, the magic she'd gathered snapped off to the side, blowing a good chunk out of the wall and revealing it to be painted metal.

Raven grimaced at the result as Beast Boy tried to sink a little further into his chair. "I can still access my power and mostly aim it, but something is stopping me from structuring it. I can't circulate it too close to my chest either, it drains away before I can redirect it."

In that moment, inspiration hit Beast Boy like a lightning bolt.

"Shoot me." He demanded abruptly.

Raven blinked twice, hard, before turning her focus back to Beast Boy, narrowing her eyes and cocking her head to the side. "What?"

Her magic had managed to pierce the wall. The _metal_ wall, and metal was generally known for being harder to penetrate than rubber. The wall looked a Hell of a lot thicker than his bindings, and I wasn't as if the wall would wait patiently for them to figure out a way to escape. Already, it was getting far close than what would have generally been socially acceptable.

He was stuck where he was, and with Raven unable to attack her own restraints, the only real solution they had was for Raven to-

"Shoot me." Beast Boy repeated, shuffling to the side as best he could and yanking an arm over the rubber holding him in place. With his free hand, he traced a mostly straight line down the front of the pink annoyance, making sure to emphasise a trail that stayed as far away from his body as possible. "I can't get out of my chair, I can't get you out of your chair, but if you get me out of my chair, then I can try to get you out of your chair."

Raven opened her mouth to respond, before closing it. Her lips twitched down into a fierce frown, the likes of which he'd not seen her wear for quite a while, before she eventually sighed as dropped her head.

"This is the stupidest…" Beast Boy heard her grumble, before her head slowly came up and she shuffled into a position that allowed her more weight on her arm.

"Just… I don't know, don't move?"

Beast Boy's eyebrows rose slightly, before a small, encouraging smile graced his lips.

"Don't worry," he reassured her, tracing a line down the rubber and hastily withdrawing his arm, "I trust you."

It was probably just the exertion of getting her magic to follow her commands that made her cheeks flush, Beast Boy told himself, as Raven carefully lined up her shot and sent a prayer up to deities that likely wouldn't answer, asking for this latest plan to not end up as many of Beast Boy's more notorious plans usually did.

There was a reason the gelatine cannon was a repressed memory. Those poor robbers…

"Azarath, Metrion…" Ebony magic gathered in her palm, and Raven's scowl deepened as whatever was forcing her to the chair worked to destabilise the flow. "…Zinthos!"

A large bolt of obsidian streaked lightning erupted from Raven's hand, easily searing a sizeable hole through the rubber keeping Beast Boy in his seat, not to mention the good portion of stomach that was underneath said rubber. Beast Boy cracked his eyes open, not seeming to notice the abstract horror on Raven's face as he glanced down to check how effective his plan had been.

It was then that he registered the abnormally high amount of pain his body was in.

And then, he noticed the new hole in his gut.

And _then_, his chair exploded.

Raven watched, her heart having given up beating in favour of climbing into her throat as to spectate the show through her dropped jaw, as Beast Boy was thrown across the room by what looked like an electrical storm made of Hellfire and depression. His body impacted the wall back first, his stupid encouraging grin frozen on his face, and a distance segment of Raven's brain was able to register the trail of crimson he left as he slid to the ground, though that was very effectively drowned out by the many voices chorusing, 'Oh fuck oh shit you've killed him', echoing up from her mindscape, all swaying through various levels of hysteria.

It was somewhere between the wall and the floor that Beast Boy's brain decided to reboot, and the green teenager was submitted to the various pop-ups assaulting his dashboard whilst he waited patiently for FuckWitRemoval09™ to check his disc drive, all of which were criticising his lateral thinking skills. Rather unfairly, in his opinion. It was between the floor and pulling himself back to his feet that he remembered the hole in his gut, and between resting a hand against the wall and stumbling slightly when he heard… _it_.

The moment of legends, the single instance that he had been convinced would continue to evade him to the grave. Prophesies had told of these few seconds in hushed and terrified whispers; angels had sung their warnings, loud enough to be heard through the clouds; devils had awaited in the shadows to cross yet another event, _this event_, off their bucket list, eternal lives notwithstanding.

As Beast Boy looked up, a hand over his latest wound, his eyes just happened to seek out Raven's. At first, he was slightly worried over the fact that he couldn't actually hear her heart beating anymore, and the fact that her face seemed so drained of blood that even her eyes had lost some of their colour, but before he could open his mouth to ask if she was alright, he heard… _it_.

Raven… _**swore**_.

"Oh, fuck!" The hand that had been supporting Beast Boy slipped, reintroducing the superhero to the hard and very wet floor in a way that was just unnecessarily painful. Despite the fact, agony wasn't the reason his eyes had widened to the point of being visible from orbit. "Beast Boy, I'm so sorry!"

Coughing out a mouthful of blood, Beast Boy finally got around to regenerating the damage that had been done to him, grimacing as the skin under his hand was knitted back together.

"'M…'M fine." Beast Boy mumbled, pushing himself back onto his feet. His uniform below his midriff was a completely mess, blood caked over what wasn't already singed or simply absent, and the visible portion of his skin was very clearly discoloured, far paler than what once had been there. Still, apart from the debilitating phantom pains and very near brush with death, there was nothing suggesting that Beast Boy was having an unusual day.

Well, if you discounted Raven outfit. And the wall that was still crawling…forward…uh oh.

"Fine!?" Colour had returned to Raven's cheeks with her sudden jump of volume, and Beast Boy did his best to not stagger as he made his way over to her chair. Approaching wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world, what with all the pitch dark magic flying about, but he still managed. "How are you 'fine'? You're bleeding! I…I saw your internal organs!"

_'Nice plan, dumbass,'_ came from somewhere inside Beast Boy's head, and with ease which only came through continuous exposure, he ignored it.

Carefully, Beast Boy removed his hand, feeling slightly sick as he glanced at all the blood – his blood, there was an absurd amount – covering it. Turning around slowly, Beast Boy presented the wound to Raven, the girl visibly flinching back as the last of his skin stretched across and closed it off.

"I heal fast, and it was my idea. I promise I'm fine, don't worry." For whatever reason, Beast Boy decided against announcing how fucked he probably would have been if Raven had managed to hit his heart or brain, instead moving to inspect the back of Raven's chair.

Immediately, he frowned.

"Hey, Rae?" He ventured carefully, watching as Raven immediately straightened at his abrupt shift in tone. "…There's a really big symbol on the back of your chair."

Raven stiffened. "Symbol?"

Beast Boy nodded, even though Raven wasn't able to see him in his current position, and licked his lips nervously. If Raven was tense, then he saw no reason why he wouldn't be at least slightly on edge. "Yeah. Uh, five line… pentagon! Pentagon with a line through it, and swirls on either side of the line."

"Ovals on the outside of all sides, line that semicircles up to the middle, lines branching off it at both ends and in the middle?" Raven listed, her voice full of an emotion Beast Boy couldn't exactly pinpoint. It was the first time he'd heard that sort of tone, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit scared.

"Um, yeah."

Unseen by Beast Boy, Raven's eyes flashed red. "He went into my room!"

Beast Boy shuffled back as a halo of magic grew around Raven's body, only dimming whenever it crossed one of the white shackles across her wrists and ankles. Then and there, he would have said he was thankful for Mod putting Raven into a chair that brought her powers under control, but then again, Mod was the reason they were in this mess in the first place, so no, Mod could go fuck himself.

The power was barely being held back, anyway. What sort of shoddy workmanship was this?

"…Rae, I'm gonna need to know what this is before I go messing with it." He doubted he'd be able to get through to her in her current state, but the last time he'd been in this situation, a good part of the city had been eaten. Beast Boy doubted he'd be able to infect Raven's motherboard with some sort of virus if he went about, messing with whatever the symbol was supposed to be, but this situation felt suspiciously like it could go in that specific direction, and that just wouldn't be allowed.

Just the footage he got to see afterwards… Holy fuck.

For a moment, there was no difference. After that moment had passed, much to Beast Boy's immense relief, the oppressive surge of magic began to ebb, and he occupied himself with studying the bottom of the symbol, with all its unique little curves, from a distance.

(_"Don't stare at her ass," _very quickly became his newest mantra. It was sooner upgraded into background noise once he realised that Raven's skirt had hiked up slightly during her brief lapse in control.)

"…Promise me you'll keep this to yourself?"

Picking up on her hushed words, Beast Boy didn't even bother stopping to think of his response. "Promise."

Raven took a deep breath, and Beast Boy hobbled closer to the back of her chair, scanning for anything he may have missed as he began to talk.

"The Azarathian alphabet is unique. It's not completely understood, only maybe by Azar herself." The air in Beast Boy's lungs ran into a small snag before it was fully capable of leaving, the look Raven was throwing over her shoulder and into his eyes full of so much raw _meaning_ that his heart skipped a few beats. "Our words carry weight across the multiverse. They are filled with inherent magic, and have been ever since their conception."

Beast Boy continued to stare as Raven turned away, his mind mulling over the information he'd just received. He didn't comprehend it completely, maybe couldn't or even wasn't supposed to. For something to hold that much power whilst wearing the guise of something so mundane…

But that wasn't what had caused him pause. No, his concerns lay in the fact that he had heard those words before. So very long ago, mere weeks separating the small event from the first forming of the Titans.

The memories were murky at best, akin to staring through a stained window whilst in a thunderstorm. He felt as though he was watching through a stranger's eyes as a younger visage of himself rolled his eyes, suspended by black magic as Raven carefully explained to him why he couldn't steal her books, and why she wouldn't ever find it funny, and the importance of never letting that information go. He'd promised, of course, and he'd kept his word, but nothing his mind came forth with could actually lend any credence to exactly what he'd agreed to.

He would have to think about it later. Right now, he'd remained quiet for too long.

"And people who aren't from Azarath shouldn't really know about this, should they?" Beast Boy inquired carefully, brushing a hand against the symbol. To his brief alarm, his fingers left a red trail behind, and the rings surrounding Raven fizzled slightly before disappearing completely.

"…No, they shouldn't." Raven mumbled, remaining in her seat as Beast Boy used her chair to pull himself to his feet, once he was confident in the fact that he'd not activated anything along the lines of a self-destruct sequence. "The source of power they call upon is magic. Divine, Demonic, mortal, it doesn't matter."

Beast Boy rounded her chair, glancing at Raven expectantly before spying the simple metal still binding her wrists and ankles. Keeping his eyesight no higher than Raven's knees, he dropped to one knee, carefully running a claw through the thinnest part of the metal with ease.

"We need to find Mod, then." He announced, one cuff falling open as he turned to work on the other.

Raven remained silent as she drew her legs together, and a quick burst of magic obliterated the handcuffs before Beast Boy could struggle to his feet. When she eventually spoke, it was after Beast Boy had reassured her that he was fine, and carefully waved away her glowing white hands.

"Can…" Her voice was softer than Beast Boy was used to, which was saying something. "Can we find my cloak first, please?"

**XxX**

I put this chapter together quite quickly, in maybe five hours. Trust me when I say what's been keeping me from the keyboard recently is anything but pleasant. To be honest, I'm only in the mood to write because one of my other fics (my Fairy Tail one) got its own page on TV Tropes. How could I not want to write after that?

Anyway, you must know the drill by now. Any mistakes, please let me know. And before you ask, no I didn't take that Azarathian alphabet thing from any canon or fanon that I know of. I just pulled it out of my ass like a fanfiction author who only _believes_ that they're good at writing.

Aaaaand now I should probably go. Till next chapter!

P.S- Yes, I am well aware that any Japanese I'm using may be butchered beyond all belief. Before I get any reviews or messages because of it, I'll just tell you now that it's entirely intentional. That is to say, I'm not making sure it's completely, grammatically correct, because that may or may not end up being part of the plot. So if you're not chill over it, chill. If you don't care, then you've got the right attitude. I like you. B-But not in that way! B-Baka!

_**X**_


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